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BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF LAKE STURGEON Acipenser fulvescens IN THE GRASSE RIVER, NEW YORK
________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to
the Graduate School of Clemson University
________________________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
________________________________________________
by Drew G. Trested
May 2010 ________________________________________________
Accepted by: Dr. J. Jeffery Isely, Committee Chair
Dr. William W. Bowerman Dr. William C. Bridges Dr. Arnold G. Eversole
Dr. Reuben Goforth Dr. James P. Kirk
ii
ABSTRACT
The objectives of this dissertation were to (1) evaluate the age, growth, mortality,
and abundance of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the Grasse River, New York; (2)
characterize seasonal movement patterns and mesohabitat use for adult and juvenile lake
sturgeon in the Grasse River, New York; and (3) quantify the immediate and delayed
post-procedure mortality for shovelnose sturgeon after insertion of an endoscope through
an incision. I determined age for 196 of 211 lake sturgeon by examination of sectioned
pectoral fin rays. Ages ranged from 0–32 years and the annual mortality rate for fish
between ages 7 and 14 was 16.8%. The weight (W, g) to total length (TL, mm)
relationship was W = 1.281 x 10-6TL3.202. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was TL
= 1,913(1 – e-0.0294(t+9.5691)). An open population estimator using the POPAN sub-module
in the Program MARK produced an abundance estimate of 793 lake sturgeon (95% CI =
337–1,249). Minimum daily distances moved were greater for adult lake sturgeon during
the spring season than those observed for juvenile lake sturgeon. I was unable to detect
significant differences in displacement or absolute distance moved by adult and juvenile
lake sturgeon within any of the four seasons. Differences in mean home range size
between adult and juvenile lake sturgeon were detected during the spring season. Lake
sturgeon in the Grasse River behaved as would be expected for the species. Adult and
juvenile fish within the three river reaches made use of core areas on either a seasonal or
annual basis. Lake sturgeon demonstrated a greater use of pool mesohabitat and lower
use of run mesohabitat under both low and mid flow conditions. During the majority of
iii
the year, adult and juvenile lake sturgeon demonstrated a greater use of silt substrate.
Sex of adult fish was determined using an abdominally invasive endoscopic technique.
The immediate and post-procedure survival of sturgeon subjected to that surgical
technique was assessed using shovelnose sturgeon. The initial and latent survival rates of
test fish was 100%. Short procedure duration and high post-procedure survival make the
technique ideal for collecting biological data from sturgeon during field studies such as
the Grasse River.
iv
DEDICATION
I would like to thank my entire family whose encouragement and support
throughout this process helped to carry me through. In particular I would like to thank
my wife, Becca. Without her love, belief in me and never ending patience, this
experience would not have been possible.
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This process would not have been possible without the support and assistance of a
great number of people. I am deeply indebted to my advisor and good friend, Dr. Jeff
Isely, whose encouragement and guidance helped to make this process a success. In
addition, I appreciate the assistance and professional guidance provided by my
committee: Dr. William Bowerman, Dr. William Bridges, Dr. Arnold Eversole, Dr. Phil
Kirk, and Dr. Reuben Goforth. I would also like to recognize fellow student Beth Wrege,
who was a great source of knowledge and a helpful driving force to keep me moving
along. Field work on the Grasse River would not have been possible without the help of
numerous Normandeau Associates biologists including Chris Avalos, Chris Baker, Joel
Detty, Corey Francis, Brian Hanson, Mike Jeanneau, Don Mason, Sean Maxwell, Helen
Shoap, Ethan Sobo, Rick Simmons, and Sean Stimmell. These individuals all provided
valuable labor and field expertise related to the sampling for lake sturgeon as well as
countless hours of radio-tracking. Chris Gurshin, Shelly Sherman, and Peter Stevens of
Normandeau Associates and Ben Galuardi at the University of New Hampshire provided
helpful input regarding analysis and interpretation of field data. Funding for the Grasse
River lake sturgeon studies was provided by The Town of Massena Electric Development
(MED). Matthew Chan, Paul Shiers, and Shirley Williamson with PB Power and Andy
McMahon with MED were supportive and provided critical reviews for the lake sturgeon
studies presented here. Michael Allen, Jon Amberg, Jessica Leet, Ben Miller, Caleb
Rennaker, Robert Rode, Jeffery Weber, and Michael Wellman of the Department of
vi
Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University and the Purdue University
Aquaculture Research Laboratory provided valuable field and laboratory assistance for
the shovelnose sturgeon survival assessment.
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x CHAPTER
1. PREFACE ............................................................................................................... 1
Organization of this Dissertation ..................................................................... 3
References ........................................................................................................ 4
2. AGE, GROWTH, MORTALITY, AND ABUNDANCE OF LAKE STURGEON IN THE GRASSE RIVER, NEW YORK .................................... 6
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6
Methods ........................................................................................................... 7
Results............................................................................................................ 15
Discussion ...................................................................................................... 24
References ...................................................................................................... 33
3. SEASONAL MOVEMENT AND MESOHABITAT USE OF LAKE STURGEON IN THE GRASSE RIVER, NEW YORK .................................. 36
Introduction .................................................................................................... 36
Methods ......................................................................................................... 38
Results............................................................................................................ 48
Discussion ...................................................................................................... 66
viii
Table of Contents (Continued) Page
References ...................................................................................................... 81
4. SURVIVAL OF SHOVELNOSE STURGEON FOLLOWING
ABDOMINALLY- INVASIVE ENDOSCOPIC EVALUATION ................... 86
Introduction .................................................................................................... 86
Methods ......................................................................................................... 88
Results............................................................................................................ 91
Discussion ...................................................................................................... 93
References ...................................................................................................... 96
ix
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Release-recapture matrix for lake sturgeon in the Grasse River for the months April–November, 2007. .......................................................................................... 13
2. Quasi-Akaike Information Criterion (QAICc) values for the top two Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for the population of lake sturgeon within the Grasse River. ........................................................................................................... 23
3. Parameter estimates and 95% confidence intervals derived from model-averaged estimates of survival (S) and capture (p) probabilities for the top two Cormack-Jolly-Seber models. ................................................................................. 25
4. Definitions of mesohabitat types mapped for an 15-km stretch of the Grasse River for use in determining lake sturgeon habitat preferences. ........................... 44
5. Description of radio-tagged lake sturgeon whose seasonal movements and habitat use in the Grasse River, New York, were monitored. ............................... 49
x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. The Grasse River near Massena, New York, showing river reach sampled during 2007 and 2008. ............................................................................................................................... 9
2. Length frequency of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008. ...................................................................................................................... 16
3. Length-weight relationship of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008. ................................................................................................... 17
4. Age frequency of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008. ...................................................................................................................... 18
5. Mean total length at age (± 95% confidence intervals) of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008. Line depicts the von Bertalanffy growth curve. ................................................................................................... 19
6. Length frequency distributions for catch from small mesh experimental gill nets (dark shading) and large mesh experimental gill nets (light shading) for lake sturgeon from the period June to November 2007. ............................................................ 21
7. Catch curve for Grasse River lake sturgeon. Open diamonds denote age classes prior to full recruitment to sampling gear and not included in estimate of Z and closed diamonds denote age classes included in estimate of Z. ......................................... 22
8. Map of the study area, consisting of the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam where movement and habitat use of lake sturgeon were monitored. ............................................ 39
9. River kilometer positions of individual adult radio-tagged lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam from November 2007 through September 2009. The solid lines connecting points indicate the movements of individual fish. The solid bar represents the relative location of the breached low-head weir. ..................................................................................................................... 51
10. River kilometer positions of individual juvenile radio-tagged lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. The solid lines connecting points indicate the movements of individual fish. The solid bar represents the relative location of the breached low-head weir. ..................................................................................................................... 52
11. Within and between season comparisons of the mean (± SE) minimum daily movement (km/d) of radio-tagged adult male (open shading), adult female (solid shading) and juvenile (hatched shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicate significant differences within and between groups and seasons. ......................................................................................................................... 57
xi
List of Figures (Continued)
Page
12. Within season comparisons of the mean (± SE) displacement (km) of radio-tagged adult male (white shading), adult female (gray shading) and juvenile (black shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicate significant differences between groups within a season. ...................................................................... 59
13. Within season comparisons of the absolute distance moved (km) of radio-tagged adult male (white shading), adult female (gray shading) and juvenile (black shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicated significant differences between groups within a season. ...................................................................... 60
14. Within and between season comparisons of the mean home range size (km) of radio-tagged adult male (open shading), adult female (solid shading) and juvenile (hatched shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicate significant differences within and between groups and seasons. ....................................... 62
15. Frequency distributions of mesohabitat availability (all seasons combined) and radio-tagged lake sturgeon usage during low flow conditions within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009. Open bars indicates the observed habitat usage of lake sturgeon and dark bars the mapped substrate proportion. .................................................. 65
16. Frequency distributions of mesohabitat availability (all seasons combined) and radio-tagged lake sturgeon usage during mid flow conditions within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009. Open bars indicates the observed habitat usage of lake sturgeon and dark bars the mapped substrate proportion. .................................................. 67
17. Frequency distributions (all seasons combined) of substrate availability (dark shading) and substrate use by radio-tagged lake sturgeon (open shading) within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009. .................................................................................................................. 68
18. Frequency distributions of substrate use by radio-tagged lake sturgeon within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River during the spring season (open shading) and all other seasons combined (dark shading). ........................................ 69
19. Endoscopy system used for gender and gonad developmental stage evaluation: A. individual components including borescope, light source, video camera, display monitor, trocar, and air supply. B. Insertion of trocar into anesthetized shovelnose sturgeon. ...................................................................................... 90
20. Endoscopic views of shovelnose sturgeon ovarian tissue: A. Mature stage female. B. Post-spawn female. .............................................................................................................. 92
1
CHAPTER ONE
PREFACE
The Grasse River flows 185 km northeast from its source in the foothills of the
Adirondack Mountains to its confluence with the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New
York (Parsons Brinkerhoff 2006). A small low-head weir was constructed at river
kilometer 12.9 in the village of Massena, New York, during 1792. The original dam
structure was renovated in 1913 and remained in place until it was breached by debris
and high flows during the spring of 1997. The Massena low-head weir created a
reservoir which formed the basis for the town waterfront area. A second low-head dam is
presently located at river kilometer 51.2 in the town of Madrid, New York. The Madrid
Dam is not used for the generation of hydroelectric power nor is it equipped with a fish
passage facility.
Fisheries surveys within the portion of the Grasse River between the Madrid Dam
and its confluence with the St. Lawrence River have documented the presence of 58
species of freshwater fish (Normandeau 2009). Among those fish species, a single
member of the sturgeon family Acipenseridae (lake sturgeon; Acipenser fulvescens) was
present in the Grasse River. Nearly all sturgeon species are considered to be threatened
or endangered (Birstein 1993; Birstein et al. 1997). Although the factors influencing the
decline of sturgeon populations may vary by location, declines in abundance can be
attributed to a variety of anthropogenic factors including overfishing, water quality of
large rivers utilized for spawning, and blockage of historic migration routes by dam
2
facilities (Birstein et al. 1997). Lake sturgeon are the only native member of the family
Acipenseridae found in New York State and are listed as threatened there (Carlson 1995).
Spawning locations within New York State are limited (Carlson 1995), and prior to this
study were known to include the portion of the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam
(LaPan et al. 1998). Previous work with lake sturgeon in the State has focused not only
on the acquisition of basic life history and habitat preferences (Johnson et al. 1998;
Werner and Hayes 2004; Hughes et al. 2005) but also on habitat rehabilitation (Johnson
et al. 2006) as well as the potential for reintroduction to areas where the species had been
extirpated (Jackson et al. 2002).
In order for fisheries scientists to effectively manage and restore sturgeon
populations, an understanding of basic population dynamics is required. Length and
weight information is routinely collected during field surveys and can be used in the
calculation of condition factors (Fortin 1993; Lallaman et al. 2008). Determination of
sturgeon population age structure has been conducted using either traditional pectoral fin
ray analysis (Rossiter et al. 1995) or newer techniques utilizing bomb radiocarbon
analysis of otoliths (Bruch et al. 2009). Knowledge of population age structure allows for
fisheries managers to construct both growth and mortality models for the target
population. Due to the observed differences in growth between male and female sturgeon
(Fortin et al. 1996) information on the gender and developmental stage of individuals
within the target population is critical for developing appropriate management plans. In
addition, the knowledge of population sex ratios, spawning frequency and other
3
parameters associated with gender will play an important role in the effective recovery
and management of depressed sturgeon populations.
Organization of this Dissertation
This dissertation reports the findings from studies evaluating the ecology and
biology of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the Grasse River near Massena, New
York. In addition, the assessment of initial and post-procedure survival for shovelnose
sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus subjected to a modified endoscopic technique for
assessing gender and reproductive stage is also presented in this dissertation. That
technique as well as the associated results should transfer to not only lake sturgeon in the
Grasse River but also sturgeon species elsewhere. This dissertation consists of four
chapters, including this Preface (Chapter 1). The body of this dissertation is comprised of
three independent manuscripts formatted for publication in a scientific journal.
Therefore, some of redundancy of material was necessary. The three manuscripts and
their targeted journal are: (I) Age, growth, mortality, and abundance of lake sturgeon in
the Grasse River, New York, prepared for the Journal of Applied Ichthyology (II)
Seasonal movement and mesohabitat use of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River, New York,
prepared for Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, and (III) Survival of
shovelnose sturgeon following minimally invasive endoscopic evaluation, accepted by
North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
4
References
Birstein, V. J. 1993. Sturgeons and paddlefishes: threatened fishes in need of conservation. Conservation Biology 7: 773-787.
Birstein, V. J., W. E. Bemis, and J. R. Waldman. 1997. The threatened status of
Acipenseriform species: a summary. Environmental Biology of Fishes 48: 427-435.
Bruch, R. M., S. E. Campana, S. L. Davis-Foust, M. J. Hansen, and J. Janssen. 2009. Lake sturgeon age validation using bomb radio carbon and known age fish.
Transactions of American Fisheries Society 138: 361-372. Carlson, D. M. 1995. Lake sturgeon waters and fisheries in New York State. Journal of
Great Lakes Research 21: 35-41. Fortin, R., J. R. Mongeau, G. Desjardins, and P. Dumont. 1993. Movements and
biological statistics of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations from the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River system, Quebec. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 638-650.
Fortin, R., P. Dumont, and S. Guenette. 1996. Determinants of growth and body
condition of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53: 1150-1156.
Hughes, T. C., C. E. Lowie, and J. M. Haynes. 2005. Age, growth, relative abundance
and scuba capture of a new or recovering spawning population of lake sturgeon in the lower Niagra River, New York. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25: 1263-1272.
Jackson, J. R., A. J. VanDeValk, T. E. Brooking, O. A. vanKeeken, and L. G. Rudstam. 2002. Growth and feeding dynamics of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, in Oneida Lake, New York: results from the first five years of a restoration program. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 18: 439-443. Johnson, J. H., D. S. Dropkin, S. R. LaPan, J. E. McKenna, and R. M. Klindt. 1998. Age
and growth of lake sturgeon in the upper St. Lawrence River. Journal of Great Lakes Research 24: 474-478.
Johnson, J. H., S. R. LaPan, R. M. Klindt, and A. Schiavone. 2006. Lake sturgeon spawning on artificial habitat in the St. Lawrence River. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22: 465-470.
5
LaPan, S. R., A. Schiavone, R. M. Klindt, and R. T. Colesante. 1998. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 1997 Annual Report to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee. Watertown, NY.
Lallaman, J. J., R. A. Damstra, and T. L Galarowicz. 2008. Population assessment and
movement patterns of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Manistee River, Michigan USA. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 24: 1-6.
Normandeau Associates, Inc. 2009. A general fish community study of the Grasse River
near Massena, NY. Submitted to Town of Massena Electric Department. Bedford, NH.
Parsons Brinckerhoff. 2006. Preliminary Application Document: Massena Grasse
River Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. FERC # 12607. Rossiter A., D. L. G. Noakes, and F. W. H. Beamish. 1995. Validation of Age Estimation for the Lake Sturgeon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124: 777-781. Werner, R. G., and J. Hayes. 2004. Contributing factors in habitat selection by lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse.
6
CHAPTER TWO
AGE, GROWTH, MORTALITY, AND ABUNDANCE OF LAKE STURGEON
IN THE GRASSE RIVER, NEW YORK
Introduction
The lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens is native to larger river and lake systems
throughout the northeastern and central Unites States, including the Laurentian Great
Lakes and Hudson Bay drainage (Scott and Crossman 1973; Peterson et al. 2006). This
species is present within the St. Lawrence River (Scott and Crossman 1973; Smith 1985;
Carlson 1995) and commercial landings there constituted one of the most important
sturgeon fisheries in North America (Dumont et al. 1987; 2004).
Construction of Beauharnois (1942) and Moses-Saunders (1960) Generating
Stations altered the hydrology of the St. Lawrence River (Morin and Leclerc 1988) and
created an impounded section of river known as Lake St. Francis. The population of lake
sturgeon isolated in Lake St. Francis has been negatively impacted by dam construction
along with overfishing (Dumont et al. 2004) and was considered depleted during the
1960s, 1970s, and 1980s (Cuerrier and Roussow 1951; Jolliff and Eckert 1971; Dumont
et al. 1987). Recent assessment in the Quebec portion of the lake suggests it remains
depressed (Dumont et al. 2004). Commercial and recreational fisheries management
within Lake St. Francis is shared by Quebec, Ontario, New York, and the Mohawk
Government of the Akwesasne. Commercial fisheries for lake sturgeon in Lake St.
Francis were closed in New York State during 1976, in Ontario during 1984 and in
7
Quebec during 1987. An unquantified commercial harvest of lake sturgeon from Lake
St. Francis remains on the Akwesasne Reservation.
The Grasse River is one of three major tributaries entering the upper end of Lake
St. Francis near the Moses-Saunders Generating Station in Massena, New York. Limited
spawning habitat was located below a low-head weir located at river kilometer 12.9
(Jolliff and Eckert 1971), as measured from the confluence of the Grasse River with Lake
St. Francis. Under certain flow conditions, lake sturgeon could perhaps move past that
obstruction and into the upper reaches of the Grasse River (Carlson 1995). However, the
low-head weir was breached during a flood in 1997.
Little is currently known about Grasse River lake sturgeon age structure, growth,
condition, mortality, and abundance. The Grasse River population of lake sturgeon is one
of a few populations in New York State where spawning has been documented, and the
population appears to include both resident and migratory individuals (Carlson 1995).
Therefore, a greater knowledge of Grasse River lake sturgeon would be valuable towards
enhanced management within the Grasse River and potentially the management of lake
sturgeon in Lake St. Francis. In this study, I assess the current status of lake sturgeon in
the Grasse River system. Specifically, I determine age, growth, mortality, and abundance
and compare these values with lake sturgeon populations elsewhere.
Methods
Study Area
8
The Grasse River flows northeast for 185 km from its source in the foothills of the
Adirondack Mountains to its confluence with the St. Lawrence River where it flows into
Lake St. Francis (Figure 1). Lake St. Francis runs for approximately 80-km between the
Moses-Saunders Generating Station in Massena, New York, and the Beauharnois
Generating Station in Valleyfield, Quebec. The Grasse River drains approximately 1,702
km2, has an average annual stream flow of 31.1 m3/s and a median flow of approximately
19.8 m3/s (Parsons Brinckerhoff 2006). The lower Grasse River (river km 0–11.5, as
measured from the confluence with Lake St. Francis) was dredged during the early 1900s
and is relatively deep (4.5–7.5 m) compared to the remainder of the system, which
typically ranges in depth from 1.5–3.0 m. The remains of an old low-head weir breached
during 1997 are located at river km 12.9 and are not a barrier to migration, except during
seasonally low flows. A second low-head dam (Madrid Dam) is located at river km 51.2
and does not have fish passage facilities. All lake sturgeon examined during this study
were captured below Madrid Dam and downstream to approximately river km 6.0 of the
Grasse River. Sampling was restricted to areas with suitable water depth for boat access.
Fixed sample sites were located between river km 6.0–11.3, 12.9–18.5, and at river km
25.7 and 51.0.
Data Collection
Lake sturgeon were collected monthly from April 2007 through November 2007
and during October 2008 using monofilament gill nets. The three different sinking
monofilament gill nets fished were a 38.1 m (length) x 2.4 m (depth) x five 7.6 m wide
9
Figure 1. The Grasse River near Massena, New York, showing the river reach sampled during 2007 and 2008.
10
panels with stretch mesh ranging from 3.8–12.8 cm (small-mesh experimental gill net),
45.7 m x 1.8 m x three 15.2 m wide panels of 12.8–17.8 cm stretch mesh (large-mesh
experimental gill net), and 45.7 m x 1.8 m with 20.4 cm stretch mesh (single mesh gill
net). Gill nets were anchored at the shoreline, set perpendicular to the current, and fished
during daylight hours.
Following capture, lake sturgeon were placed in a holding tank on the boat. Total
length (TL, nearest mm) and weight (W, nearest 0.01 kg) were recorded. Due to the lack
of external distinguishing characteristics, sex was not determined for individuals captured
during this study. A passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag (134.2 kHz, 12.45-mm
Super Tag II; Biomark Inc., Boise, Idaho) was injected into the dorsal musculature of
each individual.
A section of pectoral spine was removed from the margin using cutting pliers as
described by Rossiter et al. (1995). Pectoral spines were sectioned using a low-speed
diamond blade saw (Isomet Saw; Buehler Inc., Lake Bluff, Illinois). Thin (0.5 mm)
transverse sections were mounted to glass slides using thermal cement, polished using
600-grit lapidary film and examined under transmitted light using a dissecting
microscope at 25× magnification. Age was assigned to each individual as the number of
complete opaque bands visible (Rossiter et al. 1995). Spring-collected samples exhibited
opaque margins, which were interpreted as annuli. Sections were examined by a single
reader on two separate occasions. An estimated age was assigned to a single pectoral
spine section from each individual sturgeon. When estimated ages differed, pectoral
spine sections were examined a third time by the original reader to assign a final age
11
estimate and reason for disagreement. If agreement with one of the two previous
readings did not occur, the section was not included in analysis.
Data Analysis
Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was calculated as the total number of lake sturgeon
captured per 8-hour net set. Samples resulting in zero catch were included in the
calculation of mean CPUE values for all gear types. A weight-length relationship (W =
aLb) was derived as described by Ricker (1975). A von Bertalanffy growth equation
using all available data points was calculated using TL = L∞[1 – e-k(t-to)], where L∞ is the
asymptotic length, t is age (years), to is the hypothetical age at length 0, and k is the
Brody growth coefficient (von Bertalanffy, 1938). This procedure was carried out in
Statistical Analysis System using NLIN procedures (SAS, SAS Institute, Cary, North
Carolina, USA) using an iterative non-linear least squares procedure.
The total instantaneous mortality rate (Z) was estimated from the slope of the
catch curve (loge frequency versus age; Ricker 1975). Early age classes were excluded if
they were not abundant in the age frequency due to gear bias and I removed older age
classes if they contained fewer than five fish (Ricker 1975). This analysis assumed that
(1) recruitment is constant from year to year, (2) fishing and natural mortality are
constant, and (3) vulnerability to the fishing gear (gear selectivity) is constant above a
given age (Ricker 1975). Annual mortality was calculated as: A = 1 – e-z, where A is the
annual mortality estimate, e is natural log base constant and Z is total instantaneous
mortality rate. The annual survival estimate (S) was then calculated as S = 1 – A.
12
Between-month rates of survival (S) and capture probability (p) were estimated
through a series of Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) models constructed using Program
MARK (White 2007). The survival parameter S provides an estimate of combined
survival given losses due to mortality and emigration from the sampling area for a given
time period. The capture-recapture parameter (p) provides an estimate of the likelihood
of capturing a particular marked individual during a given sampling event. The release-
recapture matrix used in this analysis is presented in Table 1 and represents effort from
the months of April through November, 2007. Sampling dates were pooled within month
to provide a total of eight time intervals. Although this resulted in a minimal loss of
within-month recaptures, the decreased number of parameters provided to Program
MARK allowed for improved model precision (Cooch and White 2007). Models were
selected from a suite of candidate models and included:
Model A: Fully-time Dependent Model {S(t)p(t)}
Model B: Constant Survival and Time Dependent Capture Model{S(.)p(t)}
Model C: Time-Dependent Survival Constant Capture Model {S(t)p(.)}
Model D: Fully-time Invariant Model {S(.)p(.)}
Where S is the probability of survival, p is the probability of capture, (t) indicates that the
parameter varies with time between sampling periods and (.) indicates that the parameter
is constant across sampling periods.
Goodness of fit testing using the variance inflation factor (ĉ) for the general
model was performed to estimate the dispersion in the data and was conducted using the
Median-ĉ test provided in Program MARK. The global model was determined to have
13
Table 1. Release-recapture matrix for lake sturgeon in the Grasse River for the months April - November, 2007.
Release Number of Recapture Occasion
Occasion Releases May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Total Apr 36 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 May 8 1 0 0 0 4 4 9 Jun 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jul 23 0 0 2 3 5
Aug 1 0 0 0 0 Sep 6 0 0 0 Oct 8 8 8
14
sufficient goodness of fit if the variance-inflation factor, ĉ, was < 3.0 (Lebreton et al.
1992). A ĉ = 1.0 would be considered a perfect fit of the model to the data. For situations
where ĉ = 1.0, candidate models are ranked using the second-order bias adjusted Akaike
Information Criterion (AICc; Burnham and Anderson 2002). Where ĉ differs from 1,
models are ranked using quasi-AICc (QAICc) instead of AICc to account for dispersion of
the data (Burnham and Anderson 2002). The models were tested starting with the fully-
time dependent model (Model A). If Model A, the fully-time dependent model, did not
provide adequate goodness of fit, reduced parameter models were tested until an adequate
global model was found. Model averaging was then employed to generate survival (S)
and capture-recapture (p) and 95% confidence intervals for the lake sturgeon population
in the Grasse River.
The population abundance (N) of lake sturgeon within the Grasse River was
estimated using the POPAN function (Jolly-Seber model) within the Program MARK
(White 2007). The POPAN sub-module of the Program MARK assumes the existence of
a super population (N) and the parameter b which is the probability that an individual
from the super population will enter the sampled population between two sampling
events (Schwartz and Arnason 1996). My estimate of N represents the value obtained
using the model averaging function within Program MARK. Similar to the selection of
CJS models used for generation of S and p parameters, POPAN models which did not
allow the probability of capture to vary with time were not included in the calculation of
the mean estimate presented here.
15
Results
A total of 211 individual lake sturgeon were captured between 1 April 2007 and 9
October 2008. Catch per unit effort for the small-mesh experimental gill nets was 0.4
lake sturgeon per 8-hr daytime set (range: 0–7.7; SD = 1.0), for the large-mesh
experimental gill nets it was 0.8 (range: 0–1.8; SD = 14.8), and for the single-mesh gill
net it was 0.4 (range: 0–0.7; SD = 2.5). A single young-of-year fish (TL = 175 mm; W =
22 g) captured by electrofishing was included in age, growth, and mortality analyses.
Total length averaged 796 mm (range: 175–1,368 mm; SD = 163.8 mm; Figure 2) and
weight averaged 2,757 g (range: 22–13,680 g; SD = 2,002 g). The W–TL relationship
was W = 1.281 x 10-6 x TL3.202 (r2 = 0.96; N = 201; Figure 3).
A total of 196 spines were read for age. Initial agreement in ages between two
independent readings was 75.0%. Of the 49 occasions where initial age estimates
disagreed, 76% differed by 1 year and 24% differed by 2 years or more. Disagreement in
initial age estimates was caused by uncertainty in location of the first annulus and
compression of annuli near the margin in samples from older fish. Final age estimates
ranged from 0–32 years (mean = 8.7 years; Figure 4). Total lengths ranged from 175 mm
at age 0 to 1,368 mm at age 32 (Figure 5). The von Bertalanffy growth equation for
length was TL = 1,913(1 – e-0.0294(t-9.5691)). Confidence intervals (95%) were 842–2,983
for L∞, -0.00018–0.0590 for k, and -14.5356–-4.6026 for to.
16
Figure 2. Length frequency of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
151-
200
201-
250
251-
300
301-
350
351-
400
401-
450
451-
500
501-
550
551-
600
601-
650
651-
700
701-
750
751-
800
801-
850
851-
900
901-
950
951-
1,00
01,
001-
1,05
01,
051-
1,10
01,
101-
1,15
01,
151-
1,20
01,
201-
1,25
01,
251-
1,30
01,
301-
1,35
01,
351-
1,40
0
Num
ber
Total Length (mm)
N = 211
17
Figure 3. Length-weight relationship of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008.
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Wei
ght (
g)
Total Length(mm)
LogW = -5.892 + 3.202 logTLW = 1.281 x 10-6 TL 3.202
r2 = 0.96N = 200
18
Figure 4. Age frequency of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008.
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32
Num
ber
Age (years)
N = 196
19
Figure 5. Mean total length at age (± 95% confidence intervals) of Grasse River lake sturgeon captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008. Line depicts the von Bertalanffy growth curve.
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36
Tota
l Len
gth
(mm
)
Age (years)
TL = 1,913 (1 - e-0.0294(t+9.5961))N = 196
20
The estimate of Z for ages 7–14 was 0.184 (r2 = 0.74; 95% C.I. = 0.076–0.291),
which equates to an annual survival rate (S) of 83.2% or an annual mortality rate (A) of
16.8%. Confidence intervals (95%) for A were 7.3%–25.2%. The assumption of
constant recruitment was addressed through examination of the age-frequency
distribution (Figure 4). Figure 6 presents the length frequency distributions used in the
catch curve analysis. The mean TL for individuals captured in the small mesh
experimental gill nets was 759 mm while mean TL for individuals captured in the large
mesh experimental gill nets was 784 mm. The length frequency distributions of catch
from both net types indicated that sturgeon over a wide range of lengths were vulnerable
to the sampling gears (Figure 6). When the mean TL for sturgeon captured by the two
experimental gill net gear types are compared to the mean TL at age (Figure 5) it appears
that sturgeon became fully vulnerable to the gill nets at an age of 7 years (Figure 7). The
added use of the large mesh gill nets should have allowed for the capture of older and
larger year classes if they had been present in the system.
Goodness of fit testing indicated adequate goodness of fit of the global model to
the mark-recapture data. The Median ĉ (median ĉ = 2.293) test indicated adequate fit (ĉ
< 3.0) of the fully time dependent Model A. Therefore, Model A was used as the global
model for all subsequent analyses. The CJS model identified Model B, with constant
survival and varying capture rate as the model with the “best” fit to the mark-recapture
data (Table 2). Models C and D were dropped due to biological concerns over
maintaining the capture probability (p) as a constant. Model B had a QAICc weight of
0.9873. The second-ranked model (Model A) was identical to the first model but
21
Figure 6. Length frequency distributions for catch from small mesh experimental gill nets (dark shading) and large mesh experimental gill nets (light shading) for lake sturgeon from the period June to November 2007.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
551-
600
601-
650
651-
700
701-
750
751-
800
801-
850
851-
900
901-
950
951-
1000
1001
-105
0
1051
-110
0
1101
-115
0
1151
-120
0
Num
ber
Total Length (mm)
22
Figure 7. Catch curve for Grasse River lake sturgeon. Open diamonds denote age classes prior to full recruitment to sampling gear and not included in estimate of Z and closed diamonds denote age classes included in estimate of Z.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
log e
freq
uenc
y
Age (years)
N = 196
23
Table 2. Quasi-Akaike Information Criterion (QAICc) values for the top two Cormack-Jolly-Seber models for the population of lake sturgeon within the Grasse River.
QAICc Number of Model QAICc ΔQAICc Weight Parameters
B 94.00 0.00 0.9873 8 A 102.71 8.70 0.0127 13
24
allowed both survival and capture parameters to vary with time. Model A had a QAICc
weight of 0.0127. Estimates of S between sampling months were similar, ranging
between 86.2% and 87.1% (Table 3). Lake sturgeon abundance as estimated by the
POPAN model was 793 individuals (95% CI; 337–1,249).
Discussion
This study has provided new information for lake sturgeon in the Grasse River.
Lake sturgeon are prevalent within the Grasse River from the area of its confluence with
Lake St. Francis upstream to the first obstruction to fish passage (Madrid Dam) at river
km 51.2. Abundance of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River upstream from Madrid Dam is
currently undetermined. Although mesh sizes are unknown, previous work reported
CPUE values of 1.5 fish per gill net night in the nearby Lake St. Francis (St. Lawrence
River) and from 0.2–0.5 fish per gill net night in the Grasse River (Carlson et al. 2001).
Although differences in the diel timing of sampling between these two studies do exist,
my values are similar to those reported previously for the Grasse River suggesting that
lake sturgeon abundance has remained relatively stable over the last eight years.
Lallaman et al. (2008) reported gill net CPUE values for the Manistee River in Michigan
as ranging from 0.10–0.59 fish per net night. The Manistee River system supports a
small but stable population of lake sturgeon with a range of year classes (Lallaman et al.
2008). Although a direct comparison between Grasse River and Manistee River
abundance values may potentially be confounded by differences in mesh sizes and diel
25
Table 3. Parameter estimates and 95% confidence intervals derived from model-averaged estimates of survival (S) and capture (p) probabilities for the top two Cormack-Jolly-Seber models.
Parameter Time Period Estimate
Confidence Interval
Survival (S) Apr-May 0.862 0.404-0.983
May-Jun 0.871 0.476-0.981
Jun-Jul 0.871 0.476-0.981
Jul-Aug 0.871 0.476-0.981
Aug-Sep 0.871 0.476-0.981
Sep-Oct 0.866 0.437-0.982
Oct-Nov 0.864 0.000-1.000
Probability of capture Apr 0.066 0.006-0.430
or recapture (p) May 0.029 0.001-0.319
Jun 0.022 0.001-0.033
Jul 0
Aug 0
Sep 0.117 0.023-0.430
Oct 0.186 0.000-1.000
26
timing of sampling, the similarity between CPUE values suggest that lake sturgeon in the
Grasse River are of a comparable density to a population with known continual
recruitment.
Total length and weight values of lake sturgeon captured from the Grasse River
are comparable to nearby populations from the St. Lawrence River (Fortin et al. 1993;
Johnson et al. 1998). Commercial gill net catch from Lake St. Louis of the St. Lawrence
River reported mean TL by year class ranging from 493 mm at age 5 to 1,493 mm at age
33 and mean W ranged from 3,300–16,500 g (Fortin et al. 1993). Gill net catch reported
from two studies conducted in the tailwater of Moses-Saunders Generating Station on the
St. Lawrence River, ranged from approximately 743–1,486 mm TL during 1969–1970
sampling (Jolliff and Eckert 1971) and from approximately 660–1,560 mm TL during
1993–1994 sampling (Johnson et al. 1998). Differences in mesh sizes used in this study
may have contributed to the abundance of smaller length fish I observed in the Grasse
River. The wide range of sizes observed in gill net catch, supported by the presence of a
175 mm TL individual and sturgeon eggs (Normandeau Associates, unpublished data)
suggests some recruitment is occurring.
Variations in growth in length and body weight of lake sturgeon have been
studied for populations throughout the range (e.g., Fortin et al. 1996; Power and
McKinley 1997) and the comparison of weights at a given reference length is necessary
as the length-weight relationship for lake sturgeon is generally not isometric (Fortin et al.
1993). Fortin et al. (1996) described an inverse relationship between latitude and growth
rate for lake sturgeon within their range. Based on the length-weight relationships for St.
27
Lawrence River populations, a calculated weight for an individual of 1,000 mm TL was
estimated at 6,461 g for Lake St. Louis, 6,763 g for the Upper St. Lawrence River, and
5,872 g for Lake St. Francis. For the Grasse River population, the calculated weight for
an individual at 1,000 mm TL was 5,174 g. My study value is lower than those
previously reported for lake sturgeon from nearby systems. Differences in weight may be
related to gear bias or selection for gravid females in other systems and not actual growth
differences. The collection of length-weight data from the Grasse River was conducted
using non-commercial gear. Alternatively, observed differences in weight could also be
attributed to differences in feeding behaviors, quality of available habitat characteristics
or competition. Power and McKinley (1997) suggested that quantity and quality of food
sources may be important in explaining differences in the variation of growth rates
among lake sturgeon populations.
My age estimates from pectoral spines of lake sturgeon are within the ranges of
those observed for nearby St. Lawrence River populations. Ages estimated from
commercial catch of lake sturgeon from Lake St. Louis of the St. Lawrence River ranged
from 5–97 years (Fortin et al. 1993). Values reported for catch from the tailwater of the
Robert Moses Generating Station on the St. Lawrence during sampling conducted during
1969 and 1970 ranged from 7–38 years (Jolliff and Eckert 1971) and sampling conducted
from 1993–1994 ranged from approximately 4–51 years (Johnson et al. 1998). Nearly
80% of the total catch (N = 139) reported from the 1969–1970 sampling was between the
ages of 9 and 13 years (Jolliff and Eckert 1971). Recent work conducted by Bruch et al.
(2009) assessed the accuracy of lake sturgeon pectoral spines for age determination and
28
stated that pectoral spine sections underestimated the true age of fish older than 14 years
with error increasing with age. Bruch et al. (2009) stated that ages estimated from
otoliths were valid up to 52 years of age. In addition, Bruch et al. (2009) provided a
power function to provide a means of correcting existing age estimates obtained from
lake sturgeon pectoral spines. Due to the threatened status of lake sturgeon in New York
State and the lack of population specific knowledge for the Grasse River, the use of
otoliths for age determination was not feasible. While a strong relationship exists for the
true age-estimated age function developed by Bruch et al. (2009) for Lake Winnebago
sturgeon, uncertainty over the transferability of that relationship out of system prevented
me from incorporating that into this study. Previous age determination studies for nearby
St. Lawrence River populations of lake sturgeon (Fortin et al. 1993; Johnson et al. 1998)
were conducted using the same aging methodologies as this study and their results,
although potentially underestimating true ages, were comparable, in my judgment. In
addition to potential biases in age determination related to individuals older than age 14,
the lack of abundance of lake sturgeon older than 32 years in the Grasse River can
potentially be attributed to sampling bias associated with smaller mesh gill nets than
those used in commercial sampling. It is also possible that the Grasse River is used
primarily by juvenile sturgeon.
Studies have fitted a von Bertalanffy growth equation to length and age (Johnson
et al. 1998; Smith and Baker 2005) and several literature reviews are available (Fortin et
al. 1996; Power and McKinley 1997). Based on available length data from commercial
fisheries from nearby portions of the St. Lawrence River (Fortin et al. 1993), I feel my
29
estimate of L∞ is biologically reasonable. My growth coefficient (k) estimate of 0.029 is
similar to that reported for lake sturgeon captured in the tailwater of the nearby Robert
Moses Dam (0.042; Johnson et al. 1998). Onset of sexual maturity and first occurrence
of sexual dimorphism in growth rates for lake sturgeon populations in Quebec range from
23–27 years (Fortin et al. 1996). Mean length of this age range within St. Lawrence
River populations were reported as 1,241 mm for Lake St. Louis, 1,262 mm for the
Upper St. Lawrence River, and 1,138 mm for Lake St. Francis (Fortin et al. 1996). For
the Grasse River population, the mean length of individuals within this age range was
calculated as 1,220 mm (range = 1,179–1,260 mm). The calculated value using my von
Bertalanffy parameters for mean TL for fish ages 23–27 was similar to previously
reported parameters for similar latitudes within the St. Lawrence River watershed.
Prior to assessment of mortality, I examined possible violations of the
assumptions as cited by Ricker (1975). I felt that the assumption of constant recruitment
could be supported through examination of the age frequency distribution obtained from
my sampling. Although age 1 and 2 fish were not sampled by my gear within the Grasse
River, the presence of a young of year fish as well as documentation of spawning through
the collection of two eggs during 2008 and 2009, each at different spawning sites,
suggested that some recruitment was occurring (Normandeau Associates, unpublished
data). In addition, support for relaxation of the assumption of constant recruitment was
reported by Maceina (1997) who calculated similar estimates of mortality for a fish
population which exhibited varied year class strength between sampling time periods.
Since greater access to spawning habitat above the breached low-head weir in the lower
30
Grasse River took place during 1997, recruitment in this system may have increased with
greater access to more spawning habitat. In a population experiencing increasing
recruitment, a catch-curve constructed from a single random sample will overestimate
annual mortality (Miranda and Bettoli 2007) and therefore, my estimate is conservative
(i.e. higher). The assumption of constant mortality is supported due to the closure of
commercial fisheries by New York State and the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario in the
waters of Lake St. Francis, which eliminated most fishing mortality as of 1987. Although
commercial harvest on the nearby Akwesasne Reservation occurs, catch records for this
fishery are not available. As a result, I could not assume that the calculated total
instantaneous mortality rate for the Grasse River is currently attributed to only natural
mortality (M). Based on the assessment of the length-frequency distributions, I did not
believe that gear selectivity was important after age seven. Catch curve estimates of total
instantaneous mortality (Z) obtained for lake sturgeon from the Grasse River (Z = 0.184,
ages 7–14) were less than those reported by Fortin et al. (1996) for Lake St. Louis of the
St. Lawrence River for the 1981–1985 time period. Similarly, total annual mortality (A =
16.8%) estimates for the Grasse River were lower than estimates for the Lake St. Louis
population calculated during 1981 (A = 20.0), 1982 (A = 23.0) and 1983 (A = 23.0) for
sturgeon ages 16–31 (Fortin et al. 1993). Previously reported values from the St.
Lawrence River were estimated during a period of both natural and significant fishing
mortality. Incidental catch and release by recreational anglers and an unquantified
commercial harvest on the nearby Akwesasne Reservation do occur. However, the lower
mortality, when compared to a commercially harvested population, coupled with the
31
collection of small individuals and eggs, indicates some level of recruitment to this
population and provides a positive indicator.
I justified the removal of CJS models C and D by the open nature of the Grasse
River to the St. Lawrence River, the short time frame of capture with respect to the
spawning periodicity of lake sturgeon and variability in riverine conditions between
sampling events. I felt that the likelihood of recapture should not be estimated as a
constant value through time. Maintaining the survival probability as a constant seemed
plausible given the short duration of the sampling period and the life span of the species.
Estimates of survival (S) obtained from Program MARK represent the combined loses of
individuals due to both mortality and emigration from the sampling area. Given that lake
sturgeon are long lived, reaching ages in excess of 55–80 years (Scott and Crossman
1973), and the short duration of the data set used in my analysis, I believe that my
monthly survival estimates from Program MARK likely represent the level of temporary
or permanent emigration from the study site into the St. Lawrence River rather than
mortality. Estimates for S were consistent throughout the duration of this study
suggesting that emigration to Lake St. Francis occurs at a rate of approximately 13%
throughout the months of April to November.
This study was intended to provide needed information related to the age, growth,
abundance, and mortality of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River. Age distribution of
Grasse River lake sturgeon was similar to those previously reported from nearby St.
Lawrence River populations. Length at age as predicted by my von Bertalanffy growth
model was similar to previously predicted values for St. Lawrence River populations of
32
lake sturgeon. I have provided the first estimates of abundance and mortality in the
Grasse River. These estimates will contribute to the enhancement of future management
of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River, and in general.
33
References
Bruch, R. M., S. E. Campana, S. L. Davis-Foust, M. J. Hansen, and J. Janssen. 2009. Lake sturgeon age validation using bomb radio carbon and known age fish.
Transactions of American Fisheries Society 138: 361-372. Burnham, K. P. and D. R. Anderson. 2002. Model selection and multimodel inference: a
practical information-theoretic approach, 2nd edition. Springer-Verlag, New York, 488 pp.
Carlson, D. M. 1995. Lake sturgeon waters and fisheries in New York State. Journal of Great Lakes Research 21: 35-41.
Carlson, D. M., R. Colesante, J. S. Hayes, and S. L. Schlueter. 2001. Lake sturgeon
populations and recovery programs. Poster session presented at the Fourth International Sturgeon Symposium, Oshkosh, WI.
Cooch, E. and G. White. 2007. Program MARK: a gentle introduction 8th edition.
Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Currier, J. P., G. Roussow. 1951. Age and growth of lake sturgeon from Lake St. Francis, St. Lawrence River. Canadian Fish Culturist 10: 17-29. Dumont, P., R. Fortin, G. Desjardins, and M. Bernard. 1987. Biology and exploitation
of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) on the Quebec waters of the Saint-Laurent River. Pages 57-76 in Olver, C. H., editor. Proceedings of a workshop on lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), Feb 27-28 1986, Timmins, Ontario. Technical Report Series No. 23.
Dumont, P., J. Leclerc, S. Desloges, P. Bilodeau, Y. Mailhot, R. Dumas, M. La Haye, R.
Verdon, and R. Fortin. 2004. The biology, status and management of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Quebec part of the St. Lawrence: a summary. Appendix Pages 1-7 in Threader, R. W., T. Haxton, A. Mathurs, and C. Pullen, editors. Proceedings of a workshop on lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Lake St. Francis and surrounding waters, Sept 22-23 2004, Cornwall, Ontario.
Fortin, R., J. R. Mongeau, G. Desjardins, and P. Dumont. 1993. Movements and
biological statistics of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations from the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River system, Quebec. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 638-650.
34
Fortin, R., P. Dumont, and S. Guenette. 1996. Determinants of growth and body condition of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 53: 1150-1156.
Johnson, J. H., D. S. Dropkin, S. R. LaPan, J. E. McKenna, and R. M. Klindt. 1998. Age
and growth of lake sturgeon in the upper St. Lawrence River. Journal of Great Lakes Research 24: 474-478.
Jolliff, T. W. and T. H. Eckert. 1971. Evaluation of present and potential sturgeon
fisheries of the St. Lawrence River and adjacent waters. New York. Department of Environmental Conservation, Cape Vincent Fisheries Station, New York, 86 pp.
Lallaman, J. J., R. A. Damstra, and T. L Galarowicz. 2008. Population assessment and
movement patterns of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Manistee River, Michigan USA. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 24: 1-6.
Lebreton, J. D., K. P. Burnham, J. Clobert, and D. R. Anderson. 1992. Modeling
survival and testing biological hypotheses using marked animals: a unified approach with case studies. Ecological Monographs 62: 67-118.
Maceina, M. J. 1997. Simple application of using residuals from catch-curve regression
to assess year class strength in fish. Fisheries Research 32: 115-121. Miranda, L. E. and P. W. Bettoli. 2007. Mortality. Pages 229-278 in C.S. Guy and M.L.
Brown, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda Maryland.
Morin, J. and M. Leclerc. 1988. From pristine to present state: hydrology evolution of
Lake Saint-Francois, St. Lawrence River. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering 25: 864-879.
Parsons Brinckerhoff. 2006. Preliminary Application Document: Massena Grasse
River Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. FERC # 12607.
Peterson, D. L., P. Vecsei, and C. A. Jennings. 2006. Ecology and biology of the lake sturgeon: a synthesis of current knowledge of a threatened North American Acipenseridae. Review of Fish Biology and Fisheries 17: 59-76.
Power, M., and R. S. McKinley. 1997. Latitudinal variation in lake sturgeon size as
related to the thermal opportunity for growth. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 126: 549-558.
Ricker, W. E. 1975. Computations and interpretations of biological statistics of fish
35
populations. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin 191. 382 pp.
Rossiter A., D. L. G. Noakes, and F. W. H. Beamish. 1995. Validation of Age Estimation for the Lake Sturgeon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124: 777-781. Schwartz, C. J. and A. N. Arnason. 1996. A general methodology for the analysis of
capture-recapture experiments in open populations. Biometrics 52: 860-873.
Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Bulletin 184, Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Ottawa, 966 pp.
Smith, C. L. 1985. The Inland Fishes of New York State. The New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY, 522 pp.
Smith, K. M., and E. A. Baker. 2005 Characteristics of spawning lake sturgeon in the Upper Black River, Michigan. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25: 301-307.
von Bertalanffy, L. 1938. A quantitative theory of organic growth. Human Biology
10: 181-213. White, G. C. 2007. Program MARK, Version 5.1. Colorado State University, Fort
Collins.
36
CHAPTER THREE
SEASONAL MOVEMENT AND MESOHABITAT USE OF LAKE
STURGEON IN THE GRASSE RIVER, NEW YORK
Introduction
The lake sturgeon is native to larger river and lake systems throughout the
northeastern and central Unites States, including the Laurentian Great Lakes and Hudson
Bay drainage (Scott and Crossman 1973; Peterson et al. 2006). Although lake sturgeon
once supported large commercial fisheries, few self-sustaining populations remain
(Wilson and McKinley 2004). The species is present within the St. Lawrence watershed
(Smith 1985; Carlson 1995) and is listed by the State of New York as threatened (Carlson
1995).
Assessments of the seasonal movement patterns for lake sturgeon have been
conducted for both contiguous lake and river systems (Lyons and Kempinger 1992;
Rusak and Mosindy 1997; Lallaman et al. 2008) and riverine populations (Fortin et al.
1993; Borkholder et al. 2002; Knights et al. 2002). Populations residing in contiguous
lake and river systems generally use river habitat for spawning during the spring season
and use lake habitat for feeding and overwintering during the remainder of the year (Auer
1999; Lallaman et al. 2008). However, another study has documented populations of
lake sturgeon as remaining resident within riverine habitats following spring spawning
(Rusak and Mosindy 1997). It has been suggested that the Grasse River includes both
37
resident and migratory stocks of lake sturgeon (Carlson 1995). Resident behavior in lake
sturgeon has been linked to accessibility of pool habitat (Borkholder et al. 2002).
A wide variety of environmental factors can influence habitat use including water
quality, hydraulics, substrate, cover, food availability, and intra- and inter-species
interactions. Fish meso-scale habitats (mesohabitats) typically correspond in size with
hydromorphologic units such as pool, riffle, and run, and are defined by hydraulic
patterns along with attributes that provide shelter and create favorable conditions
(Parasiewicz 2008). The use of mesohabitat classification systems has been used in the
assessment of fish populations on both the community (Bisson et al. 1988; Dider and
Kestemont 1996; Kehmeier et al. 2007) and individual species levels (Baran et al. 1997;
Muhlfield et al. 2001; Santoul et al. 2005). Spatial and temporal distribution of lake
sturgeon within mesohabitats present in riverine systems may vary based on a range of
environmental variables. Rusak and Mosindy (1997) stated that the selection of habitat
by lake sturgeon could be linked to foraging behavior. Previous work conducted in the
Mattagami and Groundhog rivers of Ontario, indicated that juvenile lake sturgeon will
remain in habitats with moderate prey abundance (Chiasson et al. 1997). However, a
separate study in the St. Lawrence River system found that although juvenile lake
sturgeon did aggregate in localized areas, the presence of fish in those areas could not be
fully explained by their feeding habits (Nilo et al. 2006). Knights et al. (2002) observed
variation in the selection of habitat types related to river discharge. Variation in the use
of habitats in relation to flow may ensure that individuals do not get trapped in areas that
have seasonally unfavorable conditions during low flow periods or areas with increased
38
energy costs and lower food resources during high flow periods (Knights et al. 2002).
Age-0 lake sturgeon typically occupy shallow, less than 2 m, low flow riverine habitats
(Kempinger 1996; Benson et al. 2005) while juvenile fish (< 530 mm fork length) prefer
riverine water depths greater than 13.7 m (Barth et al. 2009). Werner and Hayes (2004)
found that habitat selection by juvenile and adult lake sturgeon within the St. Lawrence
River was partitioned based on substrate. Juvenile lake sturgeon were more abundant
over silt and sand substrate than were adult fish (Werner and Hayes 2004).
Seasonal movement patterns and habitat use of lake sturgeon in the Grasse River
is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the seasonal
movement patterns of lake sturgeon within the Grasse River, (2) assess seasonal
movement patterns of adult and juvenile lake sturgeon through a recently breached low-
head weir, (3) evaluate the degree to which lake sturgeon are resident or non-resident
within the Grasse River, and (4) determine the mesohabitat and substrate use by juvenile
and adult lake sturgeon within the middle Grasse River.
Methods
Study area
The Grasse River flows 185 km northeast from its source in the foothills of the
Adirondack Mountains to its confluence with the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New
York (Figure 8). The confluence of these two rivers is located downstream of the Moses-
Saunders Generating Station in Massena, New York, within a portion of the St. Lawrence
River known as Lake St. Francis. Lake St. Francis runs for approximately 80 km
39
Figure 8. Map of the study area, consisting of the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam where movement and habitat use of lake sturgeon were monitored.
40
between the Moses-Saunders Generating Station and the Beauharnois Generating Station
in Valleyfield, Quebec. The Grasse River drains approximately 1,702 km2, has an
average annual stream flow of 31.1 cubic meters per second (m3/s), and a median flow of
approximately 19.8 m3/s (Parsons Brinckerhoff 2006). The lower Grasse River (river km
0–11.5, as measured from the confluence with Lake St. Francis) was dredged during the
early 1900s and is relatively deep (4.5–7.5 m) compared to the remainder of the system,
which typically ranges in depth from 1.5–3.0 m. The remains of a low-head weir that
breached during the winter of 1997 are located at river km 12.9, but no longer present a
barrier to migration except during seasonal low flow periods. A second low-head dam
(Madrid Dam) is located at river km 51.2 and does not have fish passage facilities. All
lake sturgeon examined during this study were captured below Madrid Dam and
downstream to approximately river km 6.0 of the Grasse River. Sampling was restricted
to areas with suitable water depth (> 1 m) for small boat access. The study area for this
project was defined as the Grasse River between river km 0.0 and 51.0, and was divided
into three reaches for analysis. These reaches were the upper river (river km 51.1–26.0),
the middle river (river km 26.0–12.9) and the lower river (river km 12.9–0.0). The three
primary capture areas were located between river km 6.0–11.3, 12.9–18.5, and at river
km 49.6.
Data collection
Juvenile lake sturgeon (defined here as individuals < 980 mm total length [TL])
and adult lake sturgeon (defined here as individuals > 980 mm TL) were captured in the
Grasse River for radio-tagging during July 2007, November 2007, and October 2008.
41
Two different sinking gill net types (experimental and fixed mesh) were used.
Experimental nets measured 38.1 m (length) x 2.4 m (depth) x five 7.6 m wide panels
with stretch mesh ranging from 12.8–17.8 cm. Fixed mesh nets measured 45.7 m
(length) × 1.8 m (depth) and were composed of 20.4 cm stretch mesh. Gill nets were
anchored at the shoreline, set perpendicular to the current, and fished during daylight
hours. Total length (nearest mm) and weight (nearest 0.01 kg) of each fish captured was
recorded.
Radio transmitters were inserted into the abdominal cavity based on techniques
described by Hart and Summerfelt (1975). A 3-cm incision was made just off the ventral
mid-line. Placement of the incision was approximately 4–6 cm anterior to the insertion
of the pelvic fins. Care was taken to lift the skin upward during incising to ensure no
damage to internal organs. For transmitters with trailing antennae, a 1-mm diameter
stainless steel cannula was inserted into the incision and excised out of the body wall
laterally. The antenna wire of the transmitter was threaded through the cannula and the
cannula was pulled through the body wall, leaving the antenna protruding laterally from
the fish. For transmitters with coiled antennae, the entire unit was inserted into the
abdominal cavity. The incision was closed with four or five interrupted sutures (Prolene
polypropylene; 3-0 cutting FS-1 needle; Ethicon Inc., Somerville, New Jersey, USA).
Radio transmitters (SR-16-25; 18-mm diameter; 50-mm long; Lotek Inc., Newmarket,
Ontario, Canada) transmitted pulse-coded signals at 148.400 and 148.340 MHz, weighed
approximately 22 g, and had a life expectancy of 730 d. Sex of individuals (≥ 980 mm
TL) captured during 2007 was determined by visual assessment of the gonads through the
42
transmitter incision. Sex for individuals captured during 2008 was determined in the
field with the use abdominal insufflation and an endoscope following methods described
by Trested et al. (2010). Observed images were classified as male or female following
descriptions presented by Bruch et al. (2001). Sexual condition was recorded as either
ripe (late stage development) or non-ripe (early stage development). Fish were allowed
to recover and were released within 30 minutes of surgery in the vicinity of their capture
site. Individuals were classified as juveniles based on literature reported age values for
the onset of sexual maturity of the species of 12–18 years (Peterson et al. 2006) and the
mean estimated length for individuals of those ages (980 mm TL) derived from the von
Bertalanffy growth curve specific to this population (Trested and Isely, unpublished
data). However, when ripe gametes were present, the individual was classified as adult
regardless of size (n = 1).
I attempted to locate all radio-tagged lake sturgeon twice monthly during open
water periods (April through November), and monthly during ice-covered periods
(December through March). In addition, daily tracking was conducted during a 12-d
period from 21 April to 2 May, 2008, and a 21-d period from 15 April to 6 May, 2009.
Manual tracking was conducted by boat, truck, and foot depending on conditions, and all
tracking was conducted during daylight hours. The receiving antenna used for manual
searches was either a four-element Yagi antenna or a whip antenna. A receiver (SRX-
400; Lotek Inc., Newmarket, Ontario, Canada) was used to detect transmitter signals.
Fish location (latitude/longitude) was recorded with a GPS (Garmin 76; Garmin
International Inc., Olathe, Kansas, USA). In addition to manual tracking effort, three
43
stationary telemetry monitoring stations were established for year-round detection of
radio-tagged individuals. These were located at river km 3.1 (near the confluence with
the St. Lawrence River), river km 11.5 (at the base of the first riffle/rapid complex
encountered by individuals moving upstream), and at river km 12.9 (just downstream of
the breached low-head weir). Each monitoring station consisted of a data-logging
receiver and a four-element or a nine-element Yagi antenna. Monitoring stations were
installed during July 2007 at river km 3.1 and 12.9 and during January 2008 at river km
11.5. All stationary telemetry monitoring stations were removed during the last week of
June 2009.
Mesohabitats were visually identified and mapped for a 15-km stretch of river
from the confluence with the Massena Power Canal (river km 11.0) at the downstream
end to the Route 36 Bridge (river km 26.0) in Louisville, New York, on the upstream end
(Figure 8). As described by Armantrout (1998), channel units were defined as relatively
homogenous areas of a riverine system differing in depth, velocity and substrate
characteristics from adjoining areas. Within this study, these mesohabitat or channel
units were classified as riffle, rapid, glide, run, pool, and backwater, based on modified
definitions from Bisson et al. (1996) and Dollof et al. (1993) (Table 4). An additional
classification type, ruffle, was included for channel units exhibiting the characteristics of
both riffle and run (i.e., a run-like habitat but with surface turbulence, swift current, and
greater depth relative to riffle habitat). Mesohabitat boundaries were identified by means
of visual changes in depth, velocity, and substrate. Following visual determination,
boundaries were delineated by collection of point data using a GPS (GeoXH; Trimble
44
Table 4. Definitions of mesohabitat types mapped for an 15-km stretch of the Grasse River for use in determining lake sturgeon habitat preferences. Mesohabitat
Type Mesohabitat Description
riffle Shallow stream reaches with moderate current velocity, some surface turbulence and higher gradient. Convex streambed.
rapid Higher gradient reaches with faster current velocity, coarser substrate, and more surface turbulence. Usually convex streambed.
glide Moderately shallow stream channels with laminar flow, lacking pronounced turbulence. Streambed shape is flat.
run Monotone shallow stream channels with laminar flow, lacking pronounced turbulence. Streambed shape is flat.
pool Low velocity, deep water impounded by a channel bed control, blockage or partial channel obstruction. Usually convex streambed.
backwater Slack areas along channel margins and areas behind obstructions with an eddy.
ruffle An area exhibiting traits of both riffles and run; i.e. a run-like habitat but with surface turbulence and swift currents.
45
Navigation Ltd., Sunnyvale, California, USA). Due to decreases in the diversity of
mesohabitat types with increases in river flow, habitat mapping for this stretch of the
Grasse River was conducted during low (3.0 m3/s) and mid flow (17.4 m3/s) conditions.
Dominant substrate type within each unique channel unit was classified based on physical
diameters presented in Bovee (1986) with some aggregation of categories for
simplification.
Data analysis
The Statistical Analysis System (SAS 9.1; SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina,
USA) was used for data analysis and a probability value of < 0.05 was used to reject the
null hypothesis in all statistical tests. To facilitate the analysis of movement data, I
divided the year into four seasons. These seasons were defined based on recorded water
temperature data for the Grasse River (Normandeau 2008). Winter was defined as the
cold-water period indicated by ice-over conditions and included the months of December
to March. Increasing water temperatures coupled with the expected increase in biological
activity defined the spring period of April through June, a peak in annual water
temperatures defined summer as July to September and declining water temperatures
defined the fall season as October and November. Analysis of location data was
facilitated using ArcView 9.3 (ESRI, Inc.; Redlands, California, USA). Distances
between consecutive locations (absolute value of distance moved between telemetry
locations, disregarding upstream or downstream directionality of the movement) were
measured as run of the river and the minimum daily movement rates were calculated by
dividing the distance between sequential locations by the number of days between those
46
locations. When available, location observations obtained during manual tracking efforts
were supplemented with data from the stationary telemetry monitoring stations in an
effort to fine tune minimum daily movement rates. Absolute distance moved for each
individual (km) was calculated as the sum of all run of the river distances moved between
consecutive manual relocations. Displacement was calculated as the net distance moved
when accounting for upstream and downstream directionality relative to the preceding
manually determined location. Mean seasonal home range sizes for individual sturgeon
were calculated as the section of river enclosed by the most upriver and downriver
positions detected by manual telemetry for an individual on a seasonal basis. Similar to
the definition provided by Kernohan et al. (2001), I defined the home range of an
individual lake sturgeon as the extent of river with a defined probability of occurrence
(100%) during a specified time period (season). Similar to analyses conducted by Rusak
and Mosindy (1997), data collected from fish exhibiting spawning behavior during the
spring were not included for analyses of seasonal movement data.
The hypotheses that minimum daily movement rate, mean absolute distance
moved, displacement, and mean home range size differed among stage (juvenile and
adult) and sex (fixed effects) were tested with a mixed-model analysis of variance
(GLIMMIX Procedure, SAS) while controlling for individuals, season, and year (random
effects). The hypotheses that these values differed seasonally (fixed effect) were tested
with a mixed-model analysis of variance while controlling for individuals, sex, stage, and
year (random effects). I used Fishers Protected Least Significant Difference Procedure to
perform pair-wise comparisons of each sex and stage between seasons.
47
Mesohabitat and substrate use was determined by overlaying location on the
channel unit and substrate coverages produced for the 15-km stretch of river between
Route 36 in Louisville and the confluence with the Massena Power Canal. Each lake
sturgeon telemetry location as recorded by manual telemetry was assigned the attributes
of the low flow mesohabitat, mid flow mesohabitat and substrate type shapefiles based on
their intersection using ArcView 9.3. Observations were then partitioned based on river
flow. River flow values were obtained from the USGS gauging station (# 04265432;
available at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/ny? 04265432) on the Grasse River at
Chase Mills, New York. Sturgeon observations over the range of flows from 2.8–12.7
m3/s were examined for habitat use patterns under low flow mesohabitat availability and
observations over the range of flows from 12.8–28.3 m3/s were examined for habitat use
patterns under the mid flow mesohabitat availability. Dominant substrate was considered
unlikely to change regardless of flow condition and as a result all sturgeon observations
were used to assess substrate use patterns.
The frequency distributions of mesohabitat types were pooled to five major
categories (pool, rapid, run, ruffle, other) and the distributions of mapped habitat were
compared with the frequency distribution of observed locations. The hypothesis that no
differences in the frequency distributions between mapped habitat and habitat used by
lake sturgeon would differ by sex and stage was tested using the Pearson exact Chi-
square test which corrected for repeated measures. Given that there were no significant
effects due to sex or stage, distributions were combined and the hypothesis that
distributions between mapped habitat and habitat used by lake sturgeon would differ was
48
tested using the Pearson exact Chi-square test. The hypothesis that observed differences
did not differ through time (season and year as fixed effects) was tested with a mixed-
model analysis of variance controlling for individuals, sex, and stage (random effects).
Substrate usage was analyzed in a similar manner to mesohabitat. The distribution of
substrate types were pooled to five major categories (silt, sand, cobble, boulder, bedrock).
Results
Captures
Lake sturgeon (n = 211) were captured between 1 April 2007 and 9 October 2008
from the Grasse River. Of the total catch, 22 were captured within the upper river, 161
were captured within the middle river and 28 were captured within the lower river. Of
those, 23 lake sturgeon (12 juveniles and 11 adults) were outfitted with radio transmitters:
4 within the upper river, 16 within the middle river, and 3 within the lower river (Table
5). Mean total length for radio-tagged juvenile lake sturgeon was 779 mm (range = 561–
970 mm) and for adult lake sturgeon was 1,109 mm (range = 953–1,368 mm) and
differed significantly (t = 5.72, df = 21, P = < 0.0001). Mean weight for radio-tagged
juvenile lake sturgeon was 1,930 g (range = 850–5,000 g) and for adult lake sturgeon was
7,540 g (range = 4,250–13,600 g) and differed significantly (t = 6.25, df = 21, P <
0.0001). Six adult fish (3 females, 3 males) contained developed gametes during fall
season radio tagging, suggesting they would spawn during the following spring. The
early developmental stage of gametes or post-spawn condition at the time of tagging in
the 5 remaining radio-tagged adult fish (4 females, 1 male) suggested they were not likely
49
Table 5. Description of radio-tagged lake sturgeon whose seasonal movements and habitat use in the Grasse River, New York, were monitored. Transmitter Frequency ID Maturity Sex Condition
TL (mm)
Weight (g)
Tagging Date
Tagging Location
148.400 28 adult F ripe 953 4,250 11/14/2007 middle river 148.400 27 adult M ripe 1,092 8,300 11/14/2007 middle river 148.400 29 adult F ripe 991 5,900 11/17/2007 upper river 148.400 21 adult F non-ripe 1,100 8,350 9/30/2008 lower river 148.400 30 adult F non-ripe 1,083 6,700 10/1/2008 middle river 148.400 24 adult M non-ripe 1,330 10,500 10/1/2008 middle river 148.400 22 adult M ripe 980 4,800 10/2/2008 middle river 148.340 52 adult F ripe 1,010 5,000 10/2/2008 middle river 148.400 25 adult F spent 1,368 13,600 10/2/2008 middle river 148.400 23 adult M ripe 1,055 6,400 10/7/2008 middle river 148.340 51 adult F spent 1,230 9,100 10/9/2008 middle river 148.400 15 juvenile - - 594 1,050 7/19/2007 upper river 148.400 14 juvenile - - 639 1,300 7/19/2007 upper river 148.400 20 juvenile - - 775 2,100 7/19/2007 upper river 148.400 16 juvenile - - 835 1,200 7/20/2007 middle river 148.400 19 juvenile - - 835 1,200 7/20/2007 middle river 148.400 18 juvenile - - 845 1,230 7/20/2007 middle river 148.400 17 juvenile - - 900 1,230 7/20/2007 middle river 148.400 13 juvenile - - 561 850 11/12/2007 lower river 148.400 12 juvenile - - 692 1,500 11/13/2007 middle river 148.400 11 juvenile - - 752 2,000 11/13/2007 middle river 148.400 26 juvenile - - 953 5,000 11/15/2007 lower river 148.340 54 juvenile - - 970 4,500 10/9/2008 middle river
50
to spawn during the following spring. Sex of radio-tagged juvenile fish was not
determined.
I relocated 23 radio-tagged lake sturgeon a total of 1,104 times from 19 July 2007
to 28 September 2009. Radio-tagged juvenile lake sturgeon were tracked an average of
690 d (range 206–802 d) and individual fish were relocated 27–73 times (mean = 61; SE
= 4.8). Radio-tagged adult fish were tracked an average of 422 d (range 174–684 d) and
individual fish were relocated 9–65 times (mean = 36; SE = 4.8).
Seasonal Movements
Manual telemetry data indicated that the annual movements of juvenile and adult
lake sturgeon radio-tagged within the upper Grasse River were limited to a 9.9-km stretch
of river extending from the Madrid Dam tailwater downstream to the upper portions of
the Chase Mills rapid complex (Figures 9 and 10). Although seasonal movement patterns
for juvenile lake sturgeon within the upper Grasse River varied by individual, all fish
displayed strong site fidelity to particular reaches of river on either a seasonal or annual
scale. The majority of seasonal locations for one individual juvenile (Figure 10; denoted
by solid diamond) were restricted to the 2.0 km of river immediately below the Madrid
Dam during the summer seasons of 2007, 2008 and 2009, a narrow 1-km reach between
river km 45.5–46.5 during the fall and winter months of 2007 and 2008 and a 4-km reach
between river km 41.0–41.5 during the spring months of 2008 and 2009. The single adult
female lake sturgeon in the upper Grasse River also exhibited seasonal site fidelity
(Figure 9; denoted by solid diamond). The majority of fall and winter (2007 and 2008)
51
Figure 9. River kilometer positions of individual adult radio-tagged lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam from November 2007 through September 2009. The solid lines connecting points indicate the movements of individual fish. The solid bar represents the relative location of the breached low-head weir.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50R
iver
Kilo
met
er (r
km)
52
Figure 10. River kilometer positions of individual juvenile radio-tagged lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below the Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. The solid lines connecting points indicate the movements of individual fish. The solid bar represents the relative location of the breached low-head weir.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50R
iver
Kilo
met
er (r
km)
53
seasonal locations were restricted to a 0.5-km stretch of river located just downstream of
the Madrid Dam. With the exception of a 10-d period spent in the tailrace of Madrid
Dam during the spring of 2009, spring and summer locations for this individual were
confined to a 1.1-km reach between river km 43.3–44.2 during both 2008 and 2009.
Movement patterns of the juvenile (n = 7) and adult (n = 9) lake sturgeon radio-
tagged in the middle reach of the Grasse River consisted of individuals that either
remained wholly resident within the middle river or individuals that moved downstream
through the breached low-head weir and into the lower Grasse River (Figure 9 and 10).
A total of 38% (n = 6) of lake sturgeon radio-tagged in the middle river remained resident
in that stretch for the duration of the study. Resident middle river juvenile fish (n = 2)
displayed a high degree of site fidelity to particular reaches of river on either an annual or
a seasonal basis. One individual juvenile displayed a high degree of site fidelity on an
annual basis through the maintenance of a core usage area (95% of all observations)
within a stretch of river between river km 17.4–18.9 (Figure 10; denoted by solid
triangle). The majority of seasonal locations for another juvenile were between river km
14.9–15.3 (78% of seasonal observations) during the fall and winter seasons of 2007 and
2008 and between river km 12.9–13.9 (85% of seasonal observations) during the spring
seasons of 2008 and 2009 (Figure 10; denoted by solid circle). Between-year site fidelity
for this juvenile individual was less apparent during the summer season; locations during
2007 were concentrated between river km 14.0–15.0, during 2008 were concentrated
between river km 16.5–18.4, and during 2009 were concentrated between river km 17.8–
18.5. In contrast, resident middle river adult fish (n = 4; 3 females, 1 male) did not
54
display such a high degree of seasonal site fidelity to short reaches of river. The majority
of observations (95%) of adult lake sturgeon resident to the middle Grasse River were
recorded between river km 16.0–22.0.
Five transient juvenile lake sturgeon, originally radio-tagged in the middle river,
moved downstream through the breached low-head weir and into the lower river.
Downstream movements for all of these individuals took place during the winter season
of either 2007-2008 (n = 1) or 2008-2009 (n = 4). Mean daily discharge during the date
of downstream passage could only be determined for one individual due to icing
conditions at the Chase Mills gauge. Mean daily discharge on the date of downstream
passage for the individual fish during the winter of 2007-2008 was 74.8 m3/s. Of these
five juvenile lake sturgeon, two individuals returned upstream through the breached low-
head weir and reestablished residence within the middle river the following spring. Mean
daily discharge on the dates of upstream passage through the breached weir for juvenile
lake sturgeon was 29.7 and 44.2 m3/s. During periods of residency in the middle river
section, movement patterns for each of the five juvenile lake sturgeon were comparable
to individuals which remained resident for the duration of the study. All individuals
exhibited high site fidelity to particular reaches of river on either a year-round or seasonal
basis. The majority of locations (82%) for the five transient juvenile fish while within the
middle river were located from three core areas located between river km 17.0–19.0,
14.7–15.5, and 13.0–14.0.
A total of five adult lake sturgeon, originally radio-tagged in the middle river,
were considered transient due to observed upstream or downstream movements (3 males,
55
2 females). Four adult lake sturgeon radio-tagged during the fall season of 2008
emigrated from the middle river, through the breached low-head weir and into the lower
Grasse River during winter of 2008-2009. Mean daily discharge for the date of
downstream passage could not be determined for those individuals due to icing
conditions at the Chase Mills gauge. During periods of residency in the middle river
section, 60% of the locations for these fish were detected within the same three core areas
of use noted for juvenile fish in the middle river. Two of those adult lake sturgeon (1
male, 1 female) returned to the middle Grasse River the following spring and mean daily
discharge on the date of upstream passage through the breached low-head weir was 27.4
and 28.0 m3/s. A single male adult lake sturgeon tagged during the fall of 2007 was
consistently located between river km 18.2 to 18.7 during the fall and winter seasons
prior to departing the middle Grasse River for an upstream spawning area in the Madrid
Dam tailwater. Following its upstream migration, this individual moved quickly
downstream through the middle river and descended through the breached low-head weir
and into the lower Grasse River. Mean daily discharge on the date of downstream
passage through the breached low-head weir for that adult lake sturgeon was 30.3 m3/s.
One adult and two juvenile lake sturgeon radio-tagged in the lower Grasse River
demonstrated a high degree of site fidelity to two particular stretches of river, a 2 km
reach between river km 2.0–4.0 and a second reach between river km 8.0–10.7 (Figure 10
and 3). Of the total observations for sturgeon originally tagged in the lower Grasse
River, 72% of the lower river observations were recorded within those two stretches of
river. The non-gravid adult female lake sturgeon, originally radio-tagged in the lower
56
Grasse River, moved upstream through the breached low-head weir during May 2009 and
established residence in the upper river, approximately 10.0 km downstream of the
Madrid Dam. Mean daily discharge on the date of upstream passage through the
breached low-head weir for this adult lake sturgeon was 37.7 m3/s.
Manual telemetry data suggested that radio-tagged lake sturgeon do not remain
exclusively within the Grasse River, presumably moving into Lake St. Francis. Sixteen
percent (n = 2) of the juvenile sturgeon were undetected for some period of time in the
Grasse River throughout the duration of the study whereas 45% (n = 5) of the adult
sturgeon were undetected for a period of time. Duration of non-detection periods ranged
from 60–148 d for juvenile fish and from 3–326 d for adult fish. Departures from the
Grasse River were typically observed during the spring season for juvenile fish and
during the spring and summer seasons for adult fish.
Seasonal Movement Rates and Home Range Sizes
Mean minimum daily movement rates were examined using only assumed non-
spawning related movements. Over all seasons and years combined, mean minimum
daily movement rates for adult male and adult female lake sturgeon were greater than for
juvenile lake sturgeon (F 2, 21 = 9.18, P = 0.0014). Minimum daily movement rates for
adult male lake sturgeon in spring were greater than those observed for adult female and
juvenile lake sturgeon during the spring as well as adult male, adult female, and juvenile
lake sturgeon during the summer, fall, and winter seasons (Figure 11; F6, 1,050 = 2.27, P =
0.0346). Adult female lake sturgeon minimum daily movement rates during the spring
57
Figure 11. Within and between season comparisons of the mean (± SE) minimum daily movement (km/d) of radio-tagged adult male (open shading), adult female (solid shading) and juvenile (hatched shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicate significant differences within and between groups and seasons.
z
x xx
y
xx
x
x
xx
x0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
Spring Summer Fall Winter
km/d
58
season were significantly greater than those observed for adult female lake sturgeon
during the summer, fall, and winter seasons and juvenile lake sturgeon throughout all
seasons. I was unable to detect significant differences in the minimum daily movement
rates for adult male and adult female lake sturgeon and between adult male and juvenile
lake sturgeon during the summer, fall, and winter seasons.
When all seasons and years were combined, I was unable to detect a significant
difference in mean displacement among radio-tagged adult male, adult female, and
juvenile lake sturgeon (F 2, 21= 0.60, P = 0.5586). Due to the uneven distribution of
sampling events among seasons (i.e., more effort was expended during the spring season
than during winter) and the additive nature of this metric, potential observed differences
in mean displacement could only be compared within a season. I was unable to detect a
significant difference in mean displacement for adult male, adult female, and juvenile
lake sturgeon during the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons (Figure 12; F6, 114 =
1.19, P = 0.3178).
When all seasons and years were combined, I was unable to detect a significant
difference in mean absolute distance moved among radio-tagged adult male, adult
female, and juvenile lake sturgeon (F 2, 21= 2.39, P = 0.1157). Similar to the
displacement metric, potential observed differences in mean absolute distance moved
could only be compared within a season. Mean absolute distance moved by male adult
lake sturgeon was greater than mean absolute distance moved for female adult lake
sturgeon and juvenile lake sturgeon during the spring season (Figure 13; F 6, 114 = 5.47, P
= 0.0001). Mean absolute distance moved by female adult lake sturgeon was greater than
59
Figure 12. Within season comparisons of the mean (± SE) displacement (km) of radio-tagged adult male (white shading), adult female (gray shading) and juvenile (black shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicated significant differences between groups within a season.
z
zz
z
z
z
zz
z
z z
z
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
Spring Summer Fall Winter
km
60
Figure 13. Within season comparisons of the absolute distance moved (km) of radio-tagged adult male (white shading), adult female (gray shading) and juvenile (black shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicated significant differences between groups within a season.
z
z
z z
y
z z
z
x
z z z0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Spring Summer Fall Winter
km
61
mean absolute distance moved for juvenile lake sturgeon during the spring season. I was
unable to detect a significant difference in mean absolute distance moved for adult male,
adult female, and juvenile lake sturgeon during the summer, fall, and winter seasons.
When all seasons and years were combined, I was unable to detect a significant
difference in mean seasonal home range size among radio-tagged adult male, adult
female, and juvenile lake sturgeon (F 2, 21= 1.49, P = 0.2490). Mean seasonal home range
size for adult female lake sturgeon were greater than those observed for juvenile lake
sturgeon during the spring (Figure 14; F 6, 82 = 2.92, P = 0.0126). I was unable to detect a
significant difference in the mean home range size of adult male lake sturgeon and
juvenile lake sturgeon during the spring. Additionally, I was unable to detect a
significant difference in mean seasonal home range size for adult male, adult female, and
juvenile lake sturgeon during the summer, fall, and winter seasons.
Spawning Movements
During 2008 and 2009, adult sturgeon that remained within the Grasse River
during the previous winter began upstream migrations during mid to late April when
water temperatures were approximately 10–12 oC. A single radio-tagged male fish
moved from the middle river upstream to the tailwater at the Madrid Dam over a six day
period (4.3 km/d) during April 2008. Following a three day stay in the tailwater, this
individual moved downstream to the lower river over a seven day period (7.0 km/d).
This individual departed the Grasse River during early July 2008. Mean daily discharge
on the date of downstream passage through the breached low-head weir for this adult lake
sturgeon was 30.3 m3/s.
62
Figure 14. Within and between season comparisons of the mean home range size (km) of radio-tagged adult male (open shading), adult female (solid shading) and juvenile (hatched shading) lake sturgeon in the Grasse River below Madrid Dam from July 2007 through September 2009. Different letters indicate significant differences within and between groups and seasons.
z,y z,y,x
w x,w
z
x,wx,w
x,wy,x,w
x,ww
x,w
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Spring Summer Fall Winter
km
63
Three adult lake sturgeon (two male, one female) moved from the lower Grasse
River to the area below the breached low-head weir during April 2009. These individuals
moved 2–9 km upstream from the lower river over a period of 24 h. These individuals
each remained in the area below the breached weir over an 8–10 day period when water
temperatures were 10–15 oC. Following this apparent spawning migration, one male fish
moved upstream through the breached low-head weir and into the middle river. Mean
daily discharge on the date of upstream passage through the breached low-head weir for
that adult lake sturgeon was 28.0 m3/s. The other two adult lake sturgeon (one female,
one male) moved downstream to the lower river and both presumably departed the
Grasse River during July 2009 when they were no longer detected. The single radio-
tagged male observed during 2008, returned to the Grasse River in early May 2009 when
it was relocated and moved rapidly upstream to the tailwater of the Madrid Dam (16.1
km/d). Following a multiple-day stay in the tailwater area, this individual moved
downstream and again became undetectable and presumably departed the Grasse River
by mid-May 2009. Mean daily discharge on the date of upstream passage through the
breached low-head weir for this adult lake sturgeon was 61.4 m3/s and on the date of
downstream passage was 64.8 m3/s.
Mesohabitat Availability and Use
A total of 1.02 km2 of mesohabitat was mapped during low flow conditions and
was comprised of pool (62.5%), run (29.2%), rapid (0.1%), and other (8.2%) mesohabitat
types. A total of 1.04 km2 of mesohabitat was mapped during mid flow conditions and
was comprised of run (51.7%), pool (27.7%), ruffle (12.1%), rapid (8.0%) and other
64
mesohabitat types (0.5%). I made 578 observations of radio-tagged lake sturgeon within
the mapped reach of the Grasse River. When sorted by flow conditions at the time of
detection, 90 lake sturgeon records were available during the low flow condition and 158
lake sturgeon records were available during the mid flow condition.
Silt accounted for 33.0% of the substrate type over the mapped reach of the
Grasse River. Bedrock (27.6%), sand (15.6%), boulder (11.9%) and cobble (11.3%)
substrates were also present. A total of 578 observations of radio-tagged lake sturgeon
were available for assessment of substrate usage within the mapped reach.
Usage of mesohabitat type during mid flow conditions (12.8–28.3 m3/s) in the
Grasse River did not differ significantly among adult male, adult female, and juvenile
lake sturgeon over all seasons and years combined (χ2 = 5.58, df = 8, p = 0.6507). The
frequency distribution observed for the combined adult and juvenile lake sturgeon habitat
usage differed significantly from the mapped distribution of mesohabitat types under mid
flow conditions (Figure 15; χ2 = 63.05, df = 4, p < 0.0001). Lake sturgeon demonstrated
greater use of pool mesohabitat while exhibiting a lower use of run mesohabitat during
mid-flow conditions. I was unable to detect a significant difference in the distribution of
habitat usage among the four seasons (F 5, 131= 0.46, P = 0.8062).
Usage of mesohabitat type during low flow conditions (2.8–12.7 m3/s) in the
Grasse River did not differ significantly among adult male, adult female, and juvenile
lake sturgeon over all seasons and years combined (χ2 = 2.53, df = 2, p = 0.3407).
Similar to observed preferences during mid-flow conditions, the frequency distribution
observed for the combined adult and juvenile lake sturgeon habitat usage differed
65
Figure 15. Frequency distributions of mesohabitat availability (all seasons combined) and radio-tagged lake sturgeon usage during low flow conditions within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009. Open bars indicates the observed habitat usage of lake sturgeon and dark bars the mapped substrate proportion.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Pool Rapid Run Ruffle Other
% F
requ
ency
66
significantly from the mapped distribution of mesohabitat types available under low-flow
conditions (Figure 16; χ2 = 23.87, df = 1, p < 0.0001). Lake sturgeon demonstrated
greater use of pool mesohabitat while exhibiting lower use of run mesohabitat relative to
availability during low-flow conditions. I was unable to detect a significant difference in
the distribution of habitat usage among the four seasons (F 3, 552= 1.44, P = 0.2299).
I was unable to detect a difference in substrate usage for adult male, adult female,
and juvenile lake sturgeon within the Grasse River (F1, 16 = 1.54, P = 0.2326). The
frequency distribution observed for the combined adult and juvenile lake sturgeon
substrate usage differed significantly from the mapped substrate distribution (Figure 17;
χ2 = 461.44, df = 4, p < 0.0001). Lake sturgeon demonstrated a greater use of silt
substrate while exhibiting lower use of bedrock substrate within the Grasse River. When
examined on a seasonal basis, there were no detectable differences between the frequency
distributions for the summer, fall, and winter seasons (χ2 = 8.22, df = 6, p = 0.2219). The
spring season frequency distribution differed significantly from the combined summer,
fall, and winter frequency distribution (Figure 18; χ2 = 49.89, df = 4, p < 0.0001). Usage
of silt substrate decreased and usage of boulder and bedrock substrate increased during
the spring season.
Discussion
Seasonal Movements
Overall movement patterns for riverine populations of lake sturgeon have been described
as both wide-ranging (McKinley et al. 1998; Knights et al. 2002) and localized (Threader
67
Figure 16. Frequency distributions of mesohabitat availability (all seasons combined) and radio-tagged lake sturgeon usage during mid flow conditions within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009. Open bars indicates the observed habitat usage of lake sturgeon and dark bars the mapped substrate proportion.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Pool Rapid Run Ruffle Other
% F
requ
ency
68
Figure 17. Frequency distributions (all seasons combined) of substrate availability (dark shading) and substrate use by radio-tagged lake sturgeon (open shading) within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River from July 2007 through September 2009.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Silt Sand Cobble Boulder Ledge
% F
requ
ency
69
Figure 18. Frequency distributions of substrate use by radio-tagged lake sturgeon within the mesohabitat mapped portion of the Grasse River during the spring season (open shading) and all other seasons combined (dark shading).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Silt Sand Cobble Boulder Ledge
% F
requ
ency
70
and Brousseau 1986; Borkholder et al. 2002; Haxton 2003). Prior to this assessment, the
seasonal movement patterns of lake sturgeon within the Grasse River were poorly
understood. Movement patterns observed for individuals radio-tagged in the upper
Grasse River during this study were limited to the 9.9-km stretch of river below the
Madrid Dam. Previously reported movement patterns for acoustically-tagged lake
sturgeon in the upper Grasse River were similar (J. Hayes, unpublished data ). Hayes
(unpublished data) was limited to the movements of four adult male fish acoustically-
tagged during the spring below the Madrid Dam within the upper Grasse River. Of those
lake sturgeon, two remained resident to the area between the Madrid Dam and the first set
of downstream rapids. Following downstream movement through rapids to deep pool
habitat located within the upper portion of the Grasse River, the remaining two fish
exhibited localized movements through the fall season (J. Hayes, unpublished data).
Movements of lake sturgeon within the middle and lower reaches of the Grasse
River as well as potential interchange with the lake sturgeon in the Lake St. Francis
portion of the St. Lawrence River have not previously been described. Inferences based
on genetic testing suggest that migration of lake sturgeon between the Grasse River and
Lake St. Francis does occur (Welsh and May, unpublished data). My findings suggest
that lake sturgeon in the middle and lower portions of the Grasse River are similar to
riverine populations elsewhere and consist of both resident (Borkholder et al. 2002) and
transient individuals (Rusak and Mosindy 1997). The upstream spring migration
behavior by a non-gravid adult lake sturgeon observed during this study is similar to
behavior observed by Lallaman et al. (2008) where > 40% of tagged adult sturgeon found
71
near upriver spawning sites were not ripe or gravid prior to their migration. Radio-tagged
adult and juvenile lake sturgeon in this study were able to move upstream through the
breached low-head weir under river discharge conditions ranging from 27.4 to 61.4 m3/s
and 29.7 to 44.2 m3/s, respectively, suggesting that these fish can move between the
lower and middle portions of the Grasse River under discharge conditions greater than
the median annual flow of approximately 19.8 m3/s. Upstream passage was limited to the
higher discharge months of April through June. This may be associated with the
relatively lower river discharge during the remainder of the year but is more likely related
to the lower movement rates observed for Grasse River lake sturgeon outside of the
spring season.
Within riverine systems, the use of “core areas” (Knights et al. 2002) or “activity
centers” (Borkholder et al. 2002) have been identified and defined as areas of habitat
receiving extensive use and frequent revisits by individual lake sturgeon. Within the
Kettle River, Minnesota, four of these centers of activity, ranging from 0.3–1.3 km in
length accounted for approximately 80% of the total observations during a 23-month
study (Borkholder et al. 2002). Core areas for two geographically separated groups of
lake sturgeon within the Mississippi River contained approximately 50% of the observed
locations during an 18-month study (Knights et al. 2002). Grasse River lake sturgeon
demonstrated a similar use of core areas. This study identified three core areas of lake
sturgeon use within the middle river, ranging from 0.8–2.0 km in length and two core
areas of use within the lower river ranging from 2.0–2.7 km in length. The majority of
fish in this study exhibited core area site fidelity on either a seasonal or annual basis and
72
use of core areas by an individual occurred over a single time period, multiple time
periods, or for the duration of the study. This diverse pattern of use has been noted for
other riverine populations of lake sturgeon (Knights et al. 2002).
Within contiguous lake and river systems, previous movement studies have
observed tagged lake sturgeon in riverine habitat to move into adjacent lake waters on a
seasonal basis (Lyons and Kempinger 1992; Rusak and Mosindy 1997; Lallaman et al.
2008). My data suggests that juvenile and adult lake sturgeon tagged during this study
moved from the Grasse River into the Lake St. Francis segment of the St. Lawrence
River, with the majority of probable migrations occurring during the spring and early
summer period.
Seasonal Movement Rates and Home Range Sizes
Adult lake sturgeon in this study displayed significantly greater minimum daily
movement rates during the spring than observed during the remainder of the year.
Similar to my findings, previous studies have documented greater movement rates for
radio-tagged lake sturgeon during the spring season (Knights et al. 2002; Rusak and
Mosindy 1997). The sedentary behavior observed in adult lake sturgeon within the
Grasse River during the summer and winter seasons is similar to seasonal behavior
documented elsewhere for the species during the summer (Rusak and Mosindy 1997;
McKinley et al. 1998) and winter (Rusak and Mosindy 1997; Borkholder et al. 2002).
McKinley et al. (1998) theorized that reduced movement by lake sturgeon during the
summer period is a coping mechanism for thermal stress during the warmest period of the
year. Unlike the significant differences in minimum daily movement rates and absolute
73
distances moved during the spring season between adult male and female lake sturgeon
observed in this study, Rusak and Mosindy (1997) did not observe a significant
difference in movement rates between sexes. It is possible that the differential movement
rates between male and female adult lake sturgeon observed during the spring season
could be attributed to behavioral differences associated with varying stages of
reproductive development. Similar to the seasonal minimum daily movement rates for
juvenile lake sturgeon in this study, Haxton (2003) did not detect a significant seasonal
difference in the average movement rate for lake sturgeon with a total length of ≤ 98 cm
in the Ottawa River.
Mean minimum distances moved (0.1–0.2 km/d) for juvenile lake sturgeon in the
Grasse River during the summer and fall seasons were lower than values reported for
juvenile lake sturgeon during the same seasons in the Sturgeon River/Portage Lake
system (0.3–1.64 km/d; Holtgrem and Auer 2004) and in Black Lake (1.43 km/d; Smith
and King 2005). Adult male lake sturgeon in the Rainy River/Lake of the Woods system
were reported to move an average of 0.78 km/d during the spring, 0.79 km/d during the
summer, 0.46 km/d during the fall and 0.12 km/d during the winter. Adult female lake
sturgeon in the Rainy River/Lake of the Woods system were reported to move an average
of 0.94 km/d during the spring, 0.71 km/d during the summer, 0.52 km/d during the fall
and 0.10 km/d during the winter. Observed daily movement rates for male and female
lake sturgeon in the Grasse River were similar during the spring season (1.22 and 0.82
km/d) but lower during the remainder of the year (≤ 0.2 km/d). Reduced system
connectivity associated with shallow water depths during seasonal periods of low flow
74
conditions in the Grasse River may have factored into the lower minimum daily
movement rates outside of the spring season. The strong core area fidelity observed in
Grasse River lake sturgeon could also have contributed to the lower rates of daily
movement observed in this study.
Riverine home range sizes have been previously reported for a number of lake
sturgeon populations (Borkholder et al. 2002; Caswell et al. 2004; Smith and King 2005).
Although not defined on a seasonal basis, lake sturgeon in the Kettle River were reported
to use an annual home range area of 11.4–26.7 km (Borkholder et al. 2002) while adult
lake sturgeon in the Detroit River maintained an annual home range area of
approximately 10 km (Caswell et al. 2004). Seasonal home range estimates for adult lake
sturgeon in the Grasse River ranged from 0.1–12.1 km. Similar to mean minimum
distances moved, it is likely that limitations in system connectivity due to fluctuations in
water depths and the strong core area site fidelity observed in Grasse River lake sturgeon
contributed to the smaller observed home range areas, particularly during the summer
season. Reported home range areas during the summer and fall seasons for lake sturgeon
> 90 cm TL were significantly greater than those reported for lake sturgeon < 90 cm TL
in Black Lake (Smith and King 2005). Within the Grasse River, there were no detected
differences in mean home range size observed during the summer or fall seasons between
lake sturgeon > 98 cm TL or ≤ 98 cm TL.
Spawning Movements
Lake sturgeon spawning has been reported to occur during the spring, usually
between mid-April and early June (Peterson et al. 2006). Spawning activity has been
75
reported as occurring over a temperature range of 11.1–14.8 oC in the Big Manistee River
(Chiotti et al. 2008) and as peaking between the temperatures of 11.5 and 16 oC in the
Fox and Wolf rivers (Bruch and Binkowski 2002). During 2008 and 2009, apparent
spawning movements and presence of radio-tagged lake sturgeon in spawning areas
occurred within the previously reported temperature ranges. Grasse River lake sturgeon
remained in spawning areas over a period of three to ten days. The observed spawning
period duration from this study is similar to the reported duration of observed spawning
behavior over a 16-year period in the Wolf River (Bruch and Binkowski 2002).
Following spawning, lake sturgeon have been noted to exhibit rapid downstream
movement in the Wolf River (Lyons and Kempinger 1992; Bruch and Binkowski 2002)
and the Sturgeon River (Auer 1996). Lake sturgeon in the Grasse River behaved in a
similar manner, moving rapidly downstream into the lower portion of the Grasse River
and presumably exiting the system into Lake St. Francis. A single female individual
moved upstream and settled into one of the core areas frequented by lake sturgeon in the
middle river. The presence of two post-spawned adult lake sturgeon captured within a
middle river core area during fall gill-netting in 2008 suggests that the individual
behavior observed during the spring 2009 was not an isolated occurrence. Down-river
migrating lake sturgeon in the Grasse River were observed to move as quickly as 7.0
km/d. Thuemler (1998) noted that juvenile lake sturgeon (30–48 cm individuals) could
move downstream at rates of 0.6–14.5 km/h. Post-spawn outmigration rates for the
related shortnose sturgeon A. brevirostrum have been reported as ranging between 1–32
km/d (Hall et al. 1991).
76
Bemis and Kynard (1997) provided a summary of spawning migration patterns
and provided definitions for one-step and two-step spawning migrations. One-step
spawning migrations were defined as those where fish moved directly to an upstream
spawning site, spawned and then returned back downstream. A short two-step spawning
migration was defined as one where fish moved upstream during the fall season,
overwintered near the spawning site, then moved the final short distance to the spawning
area during the spring. Examples of both patterns have been documented for lake
sturgeon. Lyons and Kempinger (1992) observed a short two-step spawning migration
for lake sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system while Rusak and Mosindy (1997)
observed lake sturgeon in the Rainy River/Lake of the Woods system that utilized a one-
step migration pattern. Hayes (unpublished data) noted a short two-step migration
pattern for lake sturgeon below Robert Moses Dam at the upper end of Lake St. Francis.
Upstream fall movements of tagged lake sturgeon to a known pre-spawn spring staging
area were observed (Hayes, unpublished data). Based upon my observations, I cannot be
certain whether Grasse River lake sturgeon are using a one-step or a two-step migratory
pattern, or both. All lake sturgeon exhibiting apparent spawning behavior during this
study were radio-tagged within the Grasse River during the previous fall season.
Whether or not these individuals had been resident in the Grasse River during the entire
year or had recently moved into the Grasse River from Lake St. Francis is unknown.
Evidence of a short two-step migration pattern may be supported by the post-spawn
behavior of radio-tagged lake sturgeon which moved rapidly downstream from spawning
areas and presumably departed the Grasse River. However, the single radio-tagged
77
individual which demonstrated apparent spawning behavior in consecutive spring seasons
would be defined as a one-step migration using the definitions provided by Bemis and
Kynard (1997). That individual appeared to move into the Grasse River from Lake St.
Francis during the spring season, rapidly ascended to the spawning area and then returned
back downstream.
Mesohabitat Availability and Use
Observations of lake sturgeon during mid and low flow conditions in this study
suggested increased use of pool and decreased use of run mesohabitat. Hayes
(unpublished data) noted that tagged lake sturgeon in the Grasse River were regularly
detected in deep water pools. Similar to observations from the Grasse River, Borkholder
et al. (2002) also noted frequent relocations of tagged lake sturgeon from pool habitat in a
riverine system. Few comparable studies have quantitatively examined usage of
mesohabitat types by sturgeon, in particular lake sturgeon. Knights et al. (2002) assessed
the use of aquatic habitat types by lake sturgeon in the Mississippi River and determined
that usage of habitat types was not random. It was theorized that habitats utilized by lake
sturgeon frequently correlated with transition zones from high to slower current velocities
due to local changes in river morphometry. The reduced velocities within those
transitions zones led to the deposition of fine sediments and were suggested to represent
important feeding habitats. Pool habitats mapped during field efforts for this study were
characterized by reduced velocities when compared to adjacent run mesohabitat.
Substrate within pool mesohabitat in the mapped portion of the Grasse River was
dominated by fine sediments and it seems likely that lake sturgeon in this study are
78
demonstrating similar utilization of velocity transitional areas as has been previously
observed. The majority of radio-telemetry contacts for juvenile white sturgeon A.
transmontanus in the Kootenai River were recorded in glide mesohabitat (Young and
Scarnecchia 2005), although Kynard et al. (2000) noted that shortnose sturgeon made
greater use of river bends than run habitats.
The present study found no statistical differences in substrate usage between
juvenile and adult lake sturgeon. In contrast, Werner and Hayes (2004) observed
partitioning of habitat use in relation to fish size in the St. Lawrence River. Observations
of juvenile lake sturgeon were closely correlated with silt-sand substrates, while adult
lake sturgeon had expanded habitat usage and were detected over a wider range of
substrate types. Stomach contents analysis suggested that juvenile fish were
predominantly eating soft bodied invertebrates that were common in silt-sand substrates,
while adult fish had expanded their diet to include bivalves, common over rocky substrate
types (Werner and Hayes 2004). Similar to the findings of Werner and Hayes (2004),
Smith and King (2005) suggested that juvenile fish may utilize different habitat types to
avoid competition with adult fish. Utilization of silt substrate by juvenile fish in this
study was similar to that observed by Werner and Hayes (2004). In contrast, juvenile
lake sturgeon have been reported as utilizing sand-clay in the Moose River (Chiasson et
al. 1997), organic substrates in Black Lake (Smith and King 2005), and sand substrate in
laboratory experiments (Peake 1999). Prey availability has been correlated with juvenile
lake sturgeon abundance over soft sediment types (Chiasson et al. 1997). However, Nilo
et al. (2006) found that although juvenile lake sturgeon did aggregate in localized areas,
79
the presence of fish in those areas could not be fully explained by their feeding habits.
Barth et al. (2009) did not observe a statistical difference in the abundance of juvenile
lake sturgeon over small and large particle sizes and suggested that water depth and
detectable water velocities may be important to the spatial distribution of juvenile lake
sturgeon.
The observed usage of silt substrate noted for adult lake sturgeon in this study is
in contrast to observations from Werner and Hayes (2004) which recorded increased use
of boulder and large cobble substrates by adult fish. Adult lake sturgeon in Black Lake
were frequently detected over muck substrate (Hay-Chmielewski 1987), sand substrate in
the Kettle River (Morse et al. 1997) and silt-sand substrates in the Mississippi River
(Knights et al. 2002).
In summary, lake sturgeon movements and usage of core areas within the Grasse
River were consistent with observations for the species elsewhere in its range. Observed
core areas were relatively small, ranging in length from 1–2 km. Although minimum
daily distance movement rates differed, I was unable to detect any differences in the
absolute distances, displacement or mean home range sizes between adult and juvenile
lake sturgeon. Mesohabitat and substrate usage for both adult and juvenile lake sturgeon
in the Grasse River was characterized by frequent use of pool habitats and silt substrate.
My data suggests lake sturgeon in the Grasse River do move between waters of the
Grasse River and the adjacent Lake St. Francis. My study observations provide
additional information on the behavior of lake sturgeon in a riverine system. Coupled
80
with previous findings regarding the movement patterns and distributions of habitat and
substrate use, this study has continued to enhance the understanding of this species.
81
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Hart, L. G., and R. C. Summerfelt. 1975. Surgical procedures for implanting ultrasonic transmitters into flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 104: 56-59. Haxton, T. 2003. Movements of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in a natural reach of the Ottawa River. Canadian Field Naturalist 117: 541-545. Holtgrem, J. M., and N. A. Auer. 2004. Movement and habitat of juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Sturgeon River-Portage Lake system. Michigan Journal of Freshwater Ecology 19: 419-429. Hay-Chmielewski, E. M. 1987. Habitat preferences and movement patterns of the lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in Black Lake, Michigan. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research Report 1949. Ann Arbor. Kehmeier, J. W., R. A. Valdez, C. N. Medley, and O. B. Myers. 2007. Relationship of fish mesohabitat to flow in a sand-bed southwestern river. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27: 750-764. Kempinger, J. J. 1996. Habitat, growth, and food of young lake sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system, Wisconsin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 16: 102-114. Kernohan, B. J., R. A. Gitzen, and J. J. Millspaugh. 2001. Analysis of animal space use and movements. Pages 125-126 in J. J. Millspaugh and J. M. Marzluff, editors. Radio tracking and animal populations. Academic Press, San Diego, California. Knights, B. C., J. M. Vallazza, S. J. Zigler, and M. R. Dewey. 2002. Habitat and movement of lake sturgeon in the upper Mississippi River system, USA. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 131: 507-522. Kynard, B., M. Horgan, and M. Kieffer. 2000. Habitats used by shortnose sturgeon in two Massachusetts Rivers, with notes on estuarine Atlantic sturgeon: a hierarchical approach. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129: 487- 503. Lallaman, J. J., R. A. Damstra, and T. L Galarowicz. 2008. Population assessment and movement patterns of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the Manistee River, Michigan USA. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 24: 1-6. Lyons, J., and J. J. Kempinger. 1992. Movements of adult lake sturgeon in the Lake Winnebago system. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Research Report 156: 17 pgs.
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McKinley, S., G. VanDerKraak, and G.Power. 1998. Seasonal migrations and reproductive patterns in the lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the vicinity of hydroelectric stations in northern Ontario. Environmental Biology of Fishes 51: 245-256. Morse, S. D., H. T. Weaver, A. T. Linder, and R. A. Hugill. 1997. Habitat suitability curves for lake sturgeon based on radiotelemetry observations in the Kettle River, Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, FR29-R(P)-16, Hinckley. Muhlfield, C. C., D. H. Bennett, and B. Marotz. 2001. Summer habitat use by Columbia River redband trout in the Kootenai River drainage, Montana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21: 233-235. Nilo, P., S. Tremblay, A. Bolon, J. Dodson, P. Dumont, and R. Fortin. 2006. Feeding ecology of juvenile lake sturgeon in the St. Lawrence River system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 135: 1044-1055. Normandeau (Normandeau Associates Inc.). 2008. Summary report of water quality monitoring in the Grasse River, Massena, NY, during the 2007 and 2008 field seasons. Report to the Town of Massena Electric Department, Project 20507.020, Bedford, NH. Parasiewicz, P. 2008. Application of MesoHABSIM and target fish community approaches to restoration of the Quinebaug River, Connecticut and Massachusetts, USA. River Research and Applications 24: 459-471. Parsons Brinckerhoff. 2006. Preliminary Application Document: Massena Grasse River
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Smith, K. M., and D. King. 2005. Movement and habitat use of yearling and juvenile lake sturgeon in Black Lake, Michigan. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134: 1159-1172. Threader, R. W., and C. S. Broussaeu. 1986. Biology and management of the lake sturgeon in the Moose River, Ontario. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 6: 383-390. Thuemler, T. F. 1988. Movements of young lake sturgeons stocked in the Menominee River, Wisconsin. Pages 104-109 in, Hoyt, R. D. 11th Annual Larval Fish Conference. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 5, Bethesda, Maryland. Trested, D. G., R. Goforth, J. P. Kirk, and J. J. Isely. 2010. Survival of shovelnose sturgeon following abdominally invasive endoscopic evaluation. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 30: 121-125. Werner, R. G., and J. Hayes. 2004. Contributing factors in habitat selection by lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). State University of New York, College of
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CHAPTER FOUR
SURVIVAL OF SHOVELNOSE STURGEON FOLLOWING
ABDOMINALLY- INVASIVE ENDOSCOPIC EVALUATION
Introduction
Nearly all sturgeon species within the family Acipenseridae are considered to be
threatened or endangered (Birstein 1993; Birstein et al. 1997). Although the factors
influencing the decline of sturgeon populations may vary by location, declines in
abundance can be attributed to a variety of anthropogenic factors including overfishing,
water quality of large rivers utilized for spawning, and blockage of historic migration
routes by hydroelectric facilities (Birstein et al. 1997). Successful management of
sturgeon species requires the ability to efficiently obtain accurate biological information
regarding sex ratio, spawning frequency and other parameters associated with the gender
and developmental stage of individuals within the population. Understanding population
dynamics is essential for the effective recovery of rare or endangered species (Bajer and
Wildhaber 2007). However, due to the protected status of most sturgeon species,
traditional destructive methods of obtaining these data are prevented. The long term
survival of individuals subjected to scientific examination is important for the
conservation and restoration of wild populations.
The sex and gonad maturation stage of sturgeon species are routinely assessed
using a variety of invasive and non-invasive techniques. Sonography, a non-invasive
technique, produces high resolution ultrasonic images used to differentiate gonadal tissue
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and assess reproductive state of sturgeon (Moghim et al. 2002; Colombo et al. 2004;
Wildhaber et al. 2005) and other fish species (Bonar et al. 1989; Karlsen and Holm 1994;
Martin-Robichaud and Rommens 2001). Invasive techniques such as direct inspection of
the gonads through an incision in the body wall (Conte et al. 1988; Bruch et al. 2001) or
the collection of a gonadal biopsy samples (Webb et al. 2002) are also effective in
providing detailed reproductive information. The use of an endoscope to provide internal
images has also been examined for a variety of fishes (Moccia et al. 1984; Ortenburger
1996; Swenson et al. 2007) including several species of sturgeon (Kynard and Kieffer
2002; Bryan et al. 2007; Hurvitz et al. 2007). In some cases, the endoscope is inserted
through the urogenital canal (Kynard and Kieffer 2002; Wildhaber et al. 2005; Bryan et
al. 2007). This method has been effective in determining gender and classifying
individual maturation stage for shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum (Kynard and
Kieffer 2002); however, immature males and females could not be differentiated.
Although the technique has been used successfully with shortnose sturgeon (Kynard and
Kieffer 2002) and shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Wildhaber et al.
2005), in species with an opaque urogenital duct, it becomes necessary to insert the
endoscope into the coelum through a small incision in the abdominal wall (Wildhaber et
al. 2005; Bryan et al. 2007; Hurvitz et al. 2007).
Though substantially more invasive (Wildhaber et al. 2005), immediate and latent
mortality resulting from abdominal-insertion endoscopy has not been thoroughly
investigated. To my knowledge, post-procedure mortality associated with this technique
has only been examined in salmonids. For example, Swenson et al. (2007) observed
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immediate post-procedure mortality of 3.3% for brook trout Salvenlinus fontinalis. The
objective of this study was to quantify the immediate and delayed post-procedure
mortality for shovelnose sturgeon following insertion of an endoscope through an
abdominal incision.
Methods
Adult shovelnose sturgeon (n = 48) were captured from the Wabash River near
Lafayette, Indiana, between river km 502.0 and 510.3 during 17-18 June 2009, using a
boat-mounted electrofisher (model SR-16H; Smith-Root Inc., Seattle, Washington,
USA). Upon capture, shovelnose sturgeon were placed in an aerated live well and
transported to the Purdue University Aquaculture Research Laboratory. Prior to
examination, fish were anesthetized using 75 mg/L buffered tricaine methanesulphonate.
Fork length (mm) and weight (0.1 kg) were recorded for all individuals. Each individual
was uniquely marked using a T-bar tag (model FD-94; Floy Tag and Mfg. Inc., Seattle,
Washington, USA) inserted into the musculature at the base of the left pectoral fin.
Control fish (n = 10) were selected at random and immediately stocked into a 0.4-ha
culture pond filled with aerated well water. Experimental fish (n = 38) were held in an
aerated live well for an additional 1–3 hours prior to examination. Within 1–3 hours of
the procedure, test subjects were stocked in the same culture pond containing control fish.
At the time of capture, water temperature in the Wabash River was 22.3° C and dissolved
oxygen concentration was 8.5 mg/L. Water temperature in the culture pond was 24.3° C
at the time of release. Due to a change in the weather pattern and abnormally hot
89
weather, water temperatures in the culture pond increased to near 30.0° C during the first
week of the 30-d evaluation period. Water temperatures declined over the remainer of
the 30-d period with a value of 25.0° C at the time of survival evaluation.
Experimental fish were examined using a modification of an endoscopic
technique described by Bryan et al. (2007). Briefly, a small (< 1 cm) incision was made
0.5–1.5 cm from the ventral midline 10–12 cm anterior to the insertion of the pelvic fins.
Rather than inserting the endoscope directly into the body cavity, I inserted a threaded
trocar (6 cm long × 7 mm diameter) through the incision and used a low-pressure air
supply (model AH801 aquarium air supply pump; Aquatic Ecosystems, Tampa, Florida,
USA) attached to the trocar to gently insufflate the body cavity (Figure 19). The
endoscope was fed through the trocar and carefully manipulated within the body cavity
until gender and developmental stage of the individual was obtained. The endoscope
consisted of a 30° rigid borescope (4.0 mm diameter × 29 cm long; Model 62006 BA;
Karl Storz Endoscopy-America Inc., Charleton, Massachusetts, USA), a portable fiber-
optic light source (Model 481C; Karl Storz Endoscopy – America Inc., Charleton,
Massachusetts, USA), a digital video camera (Model C3327SH; Clover Electronics;
Cerritos, California, USA), and a color monitor (i-SAVE; Olympus, Orangburg, New
York, USA). Reproductive developmental stages were classified using categories
defined by Wildhaber et al. (2006) for shovelnose sturgeon. Each incision was closed
with a single suture (3-0 Prolene, FS-1 cutting needle; Ethicon Inc., Somerville, New
Jersey, USA). Fish were then allowed to recover in fresh, aerated water. Procedure
90
Figure 19. Endoscopy system used for gender and gonad developmental stage evaluation: A. individual components including borescope, light source, video camera, display monitor, trocar, and air supply. B. Insertion of trocar into anesthetized shovelnose sturgeon.
91
duration (seconds) from removal from anesthesia to initiation of recovery was recorded,
and a digital image was archived.
Initial survival was assessed immediately after the procedure and 1 hour after
recovery from anesthesia. The pond was checked on a daily basis for evidence of
sturgeon mortality over a 30-d period. After 30 days, the pond was drained and surviving
shovelnose sturgeon were recovered, assessed for latent survival and condition and
returned to the wild. Individual identification number and incision condition were
recorded.
Results
Fork length of control and experimental shovelnose sturgeon was 65.3 ± 5.5 cm
(n = 10; range = 58.0–76.5cm; mean ± SD) and 68.7 ± 4.2 cm (n = 38; range = 59.5–77.5
cm; mean ± SD), respectively. Experimental fish were longer than control fish (t = -2.16;
P = 0.0294). Weights of control and experimental shovelnose sturgeon were 1.0 ± 0.2 kg
(n = 10; mean ± SD) and 1.3 ± 0.3 kg (n = 38; mean ± SD), respectively. Experimental
fish weighed more than control fish (t = -3.23; P = 0.0023). Upon endoscopic
examination, the experimental group was determined to be composed of 5 (13%) females
(1 Stage III-IV, immature; 3 Stage V, mature; 1 Stage VI, post-spawning), and 33 (87%)
males (22 Stage III – V, mature; 11 Stage VI, post-spawning). Although maturation
stage of females could be assessed macroscopically (Figure 20), specific maturation state
of males requires histological examination beyond the scope of the study. No
spermiating male or ovulating female fish were collected.
92
Figure 20. Endoscopic views of shovelnose sturgeon ovarian tissue: A. Mature stage female. B. Post-spawn female.
93
Procedure duration ranged 109–315 seconds (mean = 166 seconds). Initial
survival of experimental and control shovelnose sturgeon was 100%. Latent survival of
experimental and control shovelnose sturgeon was 100% and 90%, respectively. All
incisions were closed upon visual examination after 30 days. Sutures were present in 19
(50%) individuals. Redness around the sutures was noted in 24 (63%) individuals, but
was not considered serious.
Discussion
As sturgeon species do not display sexual dimorphism, methodologies for the
effective determination of gender and gonad developmental stage have been investigated
and incision endoscopy has been demonstrated as an effective method for determining
both. Although rigid endoscopy has been recommended as a minimally invasive
technique for assessing the reproductive organs of sturgeon (Divers et al. 2009) and
results in minimal damage or stress to sturgeon (Hurvitz et al. 2007), the associated rate
of mortality among individuals subjected to incision endoscopy has not been quantified.
This study both quantifies and demonstrates that endoscopic techniques are indeed a
minimally invasive and effective way to collect gender and sexual condition information
from sturgeon.
Previous endoscopy for sturgeon has primarily been conducted by insertion of a
rigid borescope through an incision in the posterior ventral portion of the body
(Wildhaber et al. 2005; Bryan et al. 2007; Hurvitz et al. 2007). However, the borescope
lens is prone to fouling, reducing visibility and effectiveness. Others reduced this
94
problem by encasing the lens within a glass sleeve. The addition of a trocar and air
supply in this study enhanced the previous technique. Slight insufflation of the body
cavity increased the volume within the body cavity, increasing focal distance and
reducing incidental contact with reproductive structures and other organs. Survival of
shovelnose sturgeon examined using this modified technique during this study was
expected to be high based on published results of more invasive surgical procedures used
on fish for other applications. Health and retention rates have been evaluated in a
controlled setting for shortnose sturgeon implanted with coiled antennae radio
transmitters and trailing antennae radio transmitters (Collins et al. 2002). Shortnose
sturgeon implanted with coiled antennae transmitters exhibited 100% survival and
complete healing of the incision at the completion of the 93-d test period. Shortnose
sturgeon implanted with trailing antennae radio transmitters also exhibited 100% survival
at the completion of the 93-d test period but the trailing antennae caused extensive
damage to the body wall. Although survival rates of radio-tagged sturgeon species
released into wild environments can be difficult to accurately assess without recapture
information, collection of long term movement data from these individuals suggests that
survival following invasive internal surgery is high. There are numerous examples of
long-term telemetry studies conducted using internal radio transmitters (Kieffer and
Kynard 1993; Bramblett and White 2001; Benson et al. 2007). Shovelnose sturgeon are a
riverine species which prefer areas of moderate to swift currents over sand or gravel
substrate in the open channel areas of large rivers (Etnier and Starnes 1993). Although
no thermal habitat suitability curve is available for shovelnose sturgeon, it is likely that
95
the single control fish mortality I observed during that peak in water temperatures was
associated with thermal stress. Additionally, forced adaptation to a 30-d period in a
holding pond rather than previously occupied habitats in the Wabash River may have
added additional stress.
I conclude that incision endoscopy coupled with insufflation of the body cavity
through the use of trocar and an air supply provides a minimally invasive and effective
way to determine gender and examine gonad developmental stage. The success observed
with this technique on the shovelnose sturgeon will likely transfer to other endangered
sturgeon species (e.g., pallid sturgeon). The compact size, relatively low cost, and
limited power requirements of the endoscopy system used during this study suggest that
it would be practical for use under both field and laboratory conditions. Short procedure
duration and high post-procedure survival suggest this incision endoscopy technique may
be suitable for evaluation of gender and gonad developmental stage of other endangered
fish species as well.
96
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